Only One-In-Four Americans Are Fit To Serve In The U.S. Military

Only One-In-Four Americans Fit To Serve In The Military -- RT

Most Americans are ineligible to join the military, either because they’re drug users, obese, medically unfit, failed to graduate high school, or have criminal records. The Pentagon estimates that only 25 percent of Americans are qualified.

Military officials claim that they are able to be more selective, largely because the high youth unemployment rate and the drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan have prompted more people to apply.

“There’s a lot more competition,” Sergeant First Class Israel Herrera told CNN. “There are not many opportunities out there, but the Army provides employment and stability, and that makes it an attractive option.”

But for the overwhelming majority of US citizens, joining the military has become difficult – especially amid continuously rising obesity rates and high unemployment.

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My Comment: No surprises in this report .... everyone knows that Americans are getting fat .... but what I find interesting about this report is that it is Russian TV that is reporting it. As for U.S. coverage of this 'growing' problem, they have been covering it for years.

Can A Model Handle Navy SEAL Training?

Can A Model Handle Navy SEAL Training? -- Military.com

Lauren prepares to take on her toughest challenge yet — training with former Navy SEALs at Extreme SEAL Experience in Chesapeake, VA. No woman has ever completed this training — will Lauren be the first? Find out in this three-​​part episode, launching on October 31.

Join fitness model Lauren Berlingeri as she takes on a crazy new challenge each week. Whether training with the FDNY, tossing axes with STIHL Timbersports legends, or bounding through parkour routines, our fearless host manages to land on her feet with a smile (well, most of the time!).

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WNU Editor: Part 1 is here.

U.S. Military Leaders: U.S. Kids Are Too Fat To Fight

Retired Military Leaders: Junk Food a U.S. Security Threat. © flickr.com/ ebruli

Retired Military Leaders Say This Generation Is "Too Fat To Fight" -- CBS

(CBS News) Is obesity America's greatest threat to national security?

A group of retired military leaders seem to think so, given 27 percent of 17 to 24-year-olds in the United States are too fat to serve in the military. That's 9 million potential recruits.

In their new report dubbed "Too Fat to Fight," the nonpartisan group of 100 retired generals and admirals known as Mission: Readiness calls on the U.S. government to reduce the amount of junk foods available at schools in favor of healthier options.

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More News On US Military Concerns Over Childhood Obesity

Military leaders: We're still too fat to fight -- CNN
Retired military chiefs: Obesity levels mean US is 'too fat to fight' -- The Hill
Childhood obesity becomes a military matter -- Washington Post
Retired Military Leaders: Junk Food a U.S. Security Threat -- RIA Novsoti
Military leaders battle junk food -- USA Today
Retired Generals Fear That Kids Are Too Fat for War -- Danger Room
Too fat to fight: Is childhood obesity a national security threat? -- Lisa Suhay, Christian Science Monitor

The CIA Needs A Fitness Gym

The CIA seal is displayed in the lobby of CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. (File Photo)

CIA's Mission Impossible: Get A New Gym -- Wall Street Journal

Agency's Quest Is Marathon Effort; Washington's Workout Culture.

Gen. David Petraeus turned the tide in the Iraq war, flushed the Taliban from southern strongholds in Afghanistan and infiltrated al Qaeda in Yemen. His newest quest, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, is proving just as daunting: getting more space for treadmills.

Mr. Petraeus, 59 years old, arrived in 2011 to find two basement gyms at the CIA's Langley, Va., headquarters, one with original flooring dating to 1964. A hallway doubles as an indoor running track; it takes 10.25 laps to cover a mile. One gym is so small it can't contain the punching bags and medicine balls that spill into the hall, where people stretch out and do mat exercises.

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My Comment: As a fitness nut, this is an easy debate. Build the gym .... correction .... build a massive and modern gym. I am sure that it will be expensive to build, but I am also sure that it will pay dividends in the long run.

Poor Grades And Obesity Are National Security Threats

Retired Military Officers: Lazy Summers Threaten National Security -- Stars and Stripes

Hundreds of high-ranking, retired military officers have joined the chorus of summer school proponents, arguing that what children do in the summertime is a matter of national security.

A California-specific report released Thursday by the Mission: Readiness organization, led by retired generals and admirals, says the lack of summer programs has left too many kids on the couch, eating junk food, with a two-month vacation from learning. That, the group says, is contributing to food insecurity, childhood obesity and the school dropout rate, which are undermining the nation's economy and the strength of the armed forces.

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My Comment: History is a good indicator on what happens when a nation becomes "fat", "lazy", and "stupid" .... in short .... it's never a happy ending.

Who Is Fit To Deploy, And Who Is Not

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The U.S. Military Doesn’t Know Who Is Fit To Fight -- Washington Post

How good is the U.S. military at determining who is fit for battle?

Ten years into the war in Afghanistan, and after nearly nine years of war in Iraq, we know that the defining injuries of these conflicts for our service members include traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. We also understand that the all-volunteer force is stretched thin and that multiple deployments to combat zones are routine.

What military physicians don’t have a good sense of, however, is how to tell whether a combat veteran is still qualified for the battlefield. And the tragedy this month in Afghanistan, where Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, on his fourth combat tour, allegedly slaughtered 17 civilians and has been charged with murder, underscores the urgency of finding a better solution.

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My Comment: The above video has retired Army Colonel and NBC military analyst Jack Jacobs defending multiple deployments. As to what is my take .... hundreds of thousands of Americans have been deployed overseas, and the worse case has been (that we know of) Sgt. Bales. Was he an anomaly .... or have we been lucky .... that is an answer that I do not know.

Half Of All British Soldiers Are Overweight

Half Of Our Soldiers Are Overweight... And More Than One In Ten Are Obese -- The Daily Mail

More than half of British soldiers are overweight or obese, it emerged last night.

A study of Army personnel funded by the Ministry of Defence found that 57 per cent are too heavy for their height, with 12 per cent classed as obese.

The report warned that while the figures were lower than among civilians, they could jeopardise health and leave the soldiers too unfit to fight.

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My Comment: I am not surprised by this study at all. Running and managing new weapon systems and war operations are sexy .... running a gym and diet class is not. With such a contrast .... where do you think all the focus is on.

Trying To Lighten The Load That Troops Must Carry

Weight Of War: Soldiers' Heavy Gear Packs On Pain -- NPR

Soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan routinely carry between 60 and 100 pounds of gear including body armor, weapons and batteries.

The heavy loads shouldered over months of duty contribute to the chronic pain suffered by soldiers like Spc. Joseph Chroniger, who deployed to Iraq in 2007.

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Update #1: Gear that protects troops can also cause injuries -- Republican American/Seattle Times
Update #2: Military struggling to lighten load for troops -- Republican American/Seattle Times

My Comment: Recognizing this, getting into 'proper' shape for the new Army is now becoming a priority.

But even if you are the strongest man in the platoon .... carrying 60 - 100 lbs over a length of time .... I don't care who you are .... with time that is going to hurt.