index

SMA Grinston wants height & weight exemption for high ACFT scores

Daniel Sharp

Sergeant Major of the Army, Michael Grinston, recently stated he wants to see changes to how the Army measures the ACFT in relation to body composition.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Body Comp Update...Here&#39;s what I want to do: <br><br>If you score 540 on the ACFT, we should exempt you from ht/wt. The science supports this, but there are a few caveats. Give us a little time to work out the details...</p>&mdash; Sergeant Major of the Army (@USArmySMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/USArmySMA/status/1580238659034710018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Army has faced many difficulties solidifying a way to measure the physical fitness of Soldiers and the Army Combat Fitness Test has undergone several revisions over the last few years. This includes testing a gender neutral scoring system that was ultimately shelved after feedback from Soldiers and data from testing.

To tape or not to tape?

Many people chimed in with comments, questions, and concerns, particularly when it came to how this might impact the way Soldiers are “taped” for being over the allotted weight.

Being taped is when certain body parts are measured with a tape measuring device, and the recorded numbers are put in a formula along with the Soldier’s height. The resulting calculations are then used to estimate a Soldier’s body fat percentage.

<iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 441px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=PopSmokeMedia&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1580248365375586304&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popsmokemedia.com%2Fsma-grinston-wants-height-weight-exemption-for-high-acft-scores%2F&sessionId=19814d313f383a7e4a64a5d473f0cc7d3304c500&siteScreenName=PopSmokeMedia&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1580248365375586304"></iframe>

PETZL ARIA 1 RGB, Compact, Durable, Waterproof headlamp with White, red, Green and Blue Modes, 350 lumens, Camo

PETZL ARIA 1 RGB, Compact, Durable, Waterproof headlamp with White, red, Green and Blue Modes, 350 lumens, Camo

Dustproof and waterproof (IP67) Durable construction: the lamp is impact resistant (IK07) and fall resistant...

This comes recently after the Marine Corps announced they would ensure that “Marines who are identified as over their allowable body fat percentage when taped will receive a DEXA or BIA scan to ensure body fat percentage accuracy prior to enrollment in the body composition program.”

No changes have been made for height & weight exemption as of yet, but SMA Grinston has asked for patience while the details regarding the ACFT are sorted out. However, most responses we observed agreed the current height and weight standards are outdated.

You may so like

Blog

0 comments
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and two senior officials received unprecedented polygraph waivers to access top secret information, sparking concerns over security and oversight.
0 comments
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death by a special tribunal for ordering last year’s deadly crackdown on student protesters. A ruling that has intensified political tensions ahead of upcoming elections.
0 comments
The U.S. Army has launched a major overhaul of its acquisition system. Consolidating oversight under new Portfolio Acquisition Executives to speed modernization and embrace more commercially available solutions.
0 comments
A Defense Department white paper urges the U.S. and NATO to adopt a G550-based airborne warning fleet to address capability gaps as several allies move away from the delayed and costly E-7 Wedgetail program.