One more Rant for the par!

[BigBear]

Ok, one more small little rant. Before I start, let me say that I like you guys and thanks for putting up with me! Ok, onto the flame fest!

Topic: Military height/weight standards for non-combantants

My faults: I am 6 ft, 320lbs +/-. Most people say I look about 230lbs when they see me. I am not morbidly obese and do not sit on the couch all day. Just a good old farmboy.

Problem: Military wants someone my height/age to be 230 and below. I've never been below 270 even after unhealthy pill popping/dieting.

Rant: My chosen career is being a musician. I have several degrees and am quite good at it. No, I'm not a singer or guitar player. I am a REAL muscian (inside joke for vocalists/guitars if they are on here). I want to serve my country. Why not be a military musician?

Now, I'm all with making sure our fighting men and woman are in the best physical shape as possible. But an enlisteee who will never see combat, plays a supporting role... not so sure about that. I can run and gun with the best of them. I do understand certain issues with lifting, heart attacks, etc, but those things happen in everyday life anyway. It would be morbidly funny to see a fatty drop dead during a marching show...

Anyways, I've made the finalist stage for SIX!!!!! PREMIER band auditions and am not allowed to sign for a single one because of my weight!

If anyone knows about music in the military, 6 finals for military premier bands are quite uncommon and a great feat. So congrats to me on that... but this weight thing is getting me depressed. My wife is a stick who can eat a cow and LOSE weight. I LOOK at tofu and I gain 20 lbs. HA.

Rant over. Yes, I do understand they want people to "look good" in the uniforms etc. I'm not really mad at them, just dissapointed in myself. Hard for me to pass up a good steak, green beans, and some taters.

It's all good though. One day I'll get my break. Peace!

[Irving]

Have you tried taking up smoking?

[BigBear]

HAHA, Stuart... no sir. I am a trumpet player. I need my lungs. No smoking for this guy. Thanks for the thought though.

On the bright side, I am signed up with the BOA (Bugle of America) so that lets me give back a little. If you didn't now, BOA is an organization that provides LIVE buglers at ceremonies of fallen vets. We play TAPS, etc for the fallen. It's all free and we do not get paid, all volunteer. If you've ever heard the recorded TAPS or electronic bugles that are so prevalent among ceremonies... they are horrible.

These men/women gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country, the least we can do is provide proper honors.

[opie011]

If you are serious about loosing weight, I would reccomend slim genics formaly slim for life and hitting the gym 4 days a week for an hour a day. I've seen so many people loose weight on their program(including my wife) it's amazing! Sure you will be eating dirt burgers for a while but once you loose the weight and start to actually maintain a healthy diet its all gravy(no pun intended).

[jake]

If the army were to ever fully mobilize for war, what would the musicians do? I know in the UK, musicians are/were stretcher bearers or fight in support platoons such as anti-tank or mortars.

[BigBear]

Jake, I hear you man. I'm sure the musicians would be incoporated into the infantry or in a logistical position. I'm not opposed to it. I have no problem serving however I can. I do understand their (military) reasonings for their requirements... I was just hating my job (day job-non music) and wanted to vent.

Opie011 - Do you have more info about the product you mentioned?

[Irving]

The military has embarrassingly lax physical requirements, and they should let you serve as long as you can pass them. It sounds like you could.

[mutt]

I'm surprised they even enforce a weight standard these days seeing they allow high school dropouts and those with criminal records into the service now.

To assume a service member in a support role doesn't need to adhere to the same physical standards as a front line combat troop is really bad logic. All members of the service can be called on at any time to man the front so to speak. I was a fixed comm troop and I still had to maintain my physical health since I was still subject to no notice deployments. Understand there is a reason for weight and strength standards, it's nothing personal.

I don't know your situation, but if you're one of those people who is muscular for their frame, there is the option to go by your measured body fat over a simple scale measurement. Is this an option?

If the reality is you are indeed overweight, and you really want serve, the only option is to lose the weight. Sucks, but that is life. If you get the chance to serve, take it. My time in the military was a great lesson/experience in my life. I wouldn't be the same person without it.

[Troublco]

The thing about the military is that it's much harder to get in than to stay in. Although, it's getting harder to stay in. The Air Force is really cracking down, although they're not doing it from a weight standpoint. The Air Force has decided that everyone needs to be a runner, and they keep ratcheting up the cardio requirements. Now I don't know about everyone else, but I've never been a runner. I was a lifter, but the Air Force has never been too partial to folks like that. They want the rangy, skinny runner types, which is something I've never been. They may eventually toss me out because I can't conform to their changing requirements, but you never know. The pickier they get, the smaller the pool they have to recruit from. But the military in general? As long as you're in shape, you can have DUI's, drug convictions, be a gang member, all sorts of things you'd think they would NOT want in. But hey, apparently all that running from the cops IS valuable for more than escaping another conviction after all.

Of course, the ones with the waist of their pants around their knees won't have the running ability, but I'll bet they can waddle pretty fast!

[Irving]

I've got a buddy in Air Force and he's been laughing to me lately about how they keep changing the PT requirements, but they are still a joke.

I was never a runner either, but not it is my preferred work out. Maybe I should look into Air Force reserves or something.