Reply #4: When I was in the National Guard, we had fat limits also.

[happyslug]

And you were NOT allowed to re-enlist OR have "any positive administrative action" i.e. promotion or re-enlistment, until you came under the weight guidelines. I suspect that is what is happening with the Marines in Iraq, they need to promote people but can't do to the weight rules (Also such people generally can NOT re-enlist until they get their weight down).

After writing the above and remembering the stories of Marines/Soldiers being pressured to re-enlist while in Iraq, how many are saying "I can't re-enlist, I am overweight"?. It is a quick shut-up line an enlistee can tell his Senior Enlisted personel and Officers. More I think of it, the more I suspect it is happening. After years of being told you can not re-up do to weight, now you cna re-enlist no matter your weight? Sounds like someone is tired of being told the person their were presruuring to re-enlist can't re-enlist do to his weight.

One last comment, in combat most people LOSE WEIGHT, do to stress of Combat. Most over-weight people (even in the Military) is do to excessive eating and lack of exercise. In Iraq you have very few places to buy food over and above your Rations, AND you are constantly on the go. Thus while the men are having less PT, the reduction in PT does NOT explain the change in policy. People telling officers they can't re-enlist do to being overweight is to good an shut up line for enlisted personel NOT to be using it (and I suspect adding weight to their bodies to make sure they are over weight, a couple of boxes of bullets in the BDUs could put a person over).

My point is this in my experience in the National Guard, this seems to be more a way to get people to have "Postive" Action done for them (i.e. re-enlisted) when some enlistees are trying to use the weight rule to end the pressure to re-enlist.