I don't understand why my brother didn't get into the army?

Question

The recruiter told him that he needed to drop, then he was off by 1%, then she had him stay the night in a hotel and go thru the try out or whatever you call it. THEN they told him he missed by 1% and come back in October. What is this person talking about..I think recruiters have no power and should just be straight about all of it. Does anyone have any answers? He is 26, 6ft. I personally think that recruiter just screwed with his head.

Answer 1

He seems to be 1% over weight for his height and age.

Its actually not the recruiter keeping him from getting in, its the MEPS doctor. Your brother needs to lose a little weight. Just tell him to run a lot for two weeks and eat less. This should get plenty low enough to pass.

Answer 2

Your brother didn't pass tape. For  his age and height he missed the cut-off for body fat percentage.

Answer 3

your brother just has to go back threw to mepps , after he has lost a pound or two , and he should be fine. Plus I think it is harder to get in the older you get if you weren't prior military.  

Answer 4

Recruiters will s***w with your head......BUT NOT TO KEEP YOU OUT..... they want to "recruit".....that is their job..... I have no clue as to the " 1 % "..... body fat ??? I do not know..... but if they told him to try again.....it is something HE can correct if he wants to....

Answer 5

Whoa!  dont have power...your definitely misinformed...they certainly have power...

He just has to lose some weight and try again...good for you to at least try to help by asking questions...

and they did tell him to come back in October so they didn't actually say NO WAY...

Answer 6

the job of a recruiter is to guide the potential recruits through the recruiting process.  while they do have some say as to a recruit's potential, ultimately it is not their decision whether they get in or not.  Recruits have to go through a rigorous selection process, sometimes there is wriggle room, and some times not.  Height to weight restrictions are there for a reason, and if a recruit falls outside of these it's often best that he/she is rejected for this - even 1%.  the recruiting process is there to try to ensure that the candidates with the best potential for getting through the basic training are selected - as well as to assess their viability as a fully trained soldier.  

Don't forget, the army has a duty of care for its recruits - they only take those recruits that have a good chance of succeeding for this reason.

October is not too long to wait.  if your brother really wants this - he should use the time to work on his fitness.  he will also be better prepared for the process second time round - it will also demonstrate his commitment and tenacity if he goes back.

Answer 7

This sounds like he was overweight and "broke tape".

First, the army uses standard height/weight charts to determine if he's in the normal.  However, the army eventually caught on that not everyone matches these standards (people with a lot of muscle).  

This leads to his second chance, which I don't think he explained to you.  If he's overweight by the tables, the army measures his neck and waist.  They take those measurements with his height/weight, and determine his body fat percent.  Entry level for males is 26% (I think).

If he was 1% off and really wants to get into the army, tell him to work on his neck.  That will help his body fat.

I'm not defending recruiters nor am I bashing them for this.  This part is all medical.  The recruiters should know the charts and probrably gave him some warning.

Some other ideas that will help him for his next weighing are these: skip breakfast and eat a light dinner the night before, if he has to take a laxative to clean himself out, drink water since it goes out just as quickly.

Hope this helps

Answer 8

I take it hes a little overweight? tell him to lose a few inches heres a height weight scale

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyjoin/...

Answer 9

off by 1% of what? that can mean alot of things. Sounds like your brother went to MEPS and either missed his ASVAB or his physical, but its not like he didn't get in period. He just has to improve something and try again, that happens to a lot of new recruits.

Answer 10

sounds like he is overweight..a big no no in the military...

Answer 11

How much does he weigh? And yes, they do have power, obviously.

Answer 12

Not s******g with him the Army has standards and do deviate much. It sounds like he is 1% over Body Fat not hard to loose he can have it down in a week or two with no prob. just don't pig out any.

Vet-USAF