Marines serving in Iraq are exempted from the Corps' weight-loss plan. Once back in U.S., extra fitness training, lectures, weigh-ins are the drill.
By Tony Perry
Los Angeles Times, 28 December 2005
SAN DIEGO — The Marine Corps has decided that fighting one war at a time is enough.
A recent order from headquarters at Quantico, Va., says overweight Marines sent to Iraq can be exempt from the Corps' rigid weight-loss program, which requires frequent weigh-ins, extra physical training and "Semper Fit" lectures about nutrition.
The rigors of being deployed in Iraq have made it difficult for Marines to comply with the fitness plan, known as the Body Composition Program, Marine Corps officials said.
Under an order issued before Christmas, commanders are allowed to exempt their troops in Iraq from what is usually a six-month program.
"In combat, the priority is combat and getting home safely and completing the mission," said Lt. Col. Kristi VanGorder, head of the training section at the Training and Education Command at the base in Quantico.
Once a Marine leaves Iraq, he or she is required to resume the fight against fat.
Failure to meet the Corps' standards for body fat percentage can lead to an administrative discharge.
Every Marine undergoes an official weigh-in at least twice a year. If an individual is heavier than a set standard for his height, then body fat is calculated.
For men, the calculation involves measuring the abdomen and neck; for women, the waist, hips and neck are measured.
The maximum body fat for men is 18%; for women, it is 26% — although the standard is looser if the Marine excels on an annual fitness test.
If his or her body fat is below a prescribed maximum, the Marine is considered to meet the standards regardless of weight and height.
"We don't want a bunch of skinny Marines," said VanGorder. "What we want is healthy Marines."
An overweight Marine who has been enrolled in the program before going to Iraq "should attempt to make progress," according to the order.
Although while in Iraq the Marine will be exempt from the weigh-ins and other aspects of the program, the individual will not be eligible for promotion until returning to the U.S. and meeting the body-fat standards. The only exception is a Marine who performs heroically in combat and receives a meritorious promotion.
Although the Marine Corps might enforce its standards more vigorously, each of the military services has a program to keep its personnel in fighting trim.
The Corps has a maximum weight for a person's height, regardless of age.
The Army makes allowances for weight by age, and allows a higher percentage of body-fat for all age groups.
Sgt. Zachary Balentine, a martial-arts instructor and weight-control instructor at the Quantico base, says that 35 of the 700 Marines in his battalion are in the Body Composition Program.
When he took over the job, four Marines were in the process of being discharged because they did not meet the weight and fitness standards, Balentine said.
With younger Marines in particular, much of the program involves warning them to stay away from fast food.
"It's so easy to order a pizza or a cheeseburger," Balentine said. "You can't eat like a slob and then expect to perform well."
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Citation: Tony Perry. "'Semper Fit' on Home Front Only," Los Angeles Times, 28 December 2005.
Original URL: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-na-weight28dec28,1,3228850.story?coll=la-iraq-complete
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