Posted on 05/01/2015 6:17:43 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
Minnesota's childhood obesity problem is a threat to national security, a group of retired military generals said Thursday in St. Paul. Mission: Readiness, a national nonprofit group of more than 500 retired senior military leaders, says one-third of young Americans are too overweight for military service. In Minnesota, it said, 69 percent are unqualified for duty for a variety of reasons, including obesity, asthma, criminal histories and the location of their tattoos. In a report called "Too Fat, Frail and Out-of-Breath to Fight," the group highlighted three ways to address physical fitness in America's youth: -- More community paths for walking and biking. -- More physical education in schools. -- Congress should stick with healthier lunch rules that schools have been phasing in since 2012.
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
A much better solution is to set up pre-training camps, run by veterans. They could have a 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month program to get potential military recruits up to snuff.
Old style wooden barracks, individualized meals, endless exercise, *and* remedial education.
Everybody wears civilian clothes. The school is a one-shot, pass or fail. Dropping out is easy.
The best part is that such camps are low cost, high return.
dodge the draft..... no not bill clintoon style
EAT AND GET FAT........ twinkies anyone
yeah i know there’s no current draft...... just wait ‘til iran and saudi get their nukes......
You forgot Grace Hopper.
>>dodge ball and kick ball<<
They’ve banned those games in gym class at my son’s school. They do, however, get to do “cup stacking”. Which is literally what it sounds like.
He gets in trouble a lot because he and his friends get easily bored with sissy games and start roughhousing. As punishment, he has to walk the track during recess. He runs it, and enjoys it, which is why I think he gets in trouble on purpose.
8 years old, 4 feet tall, barely 50lbs...he’s got a LOT of energy to burn. The schools want docile, easily-controlled minions. He’s a wolf cub with a lion’s heart. I get a lot of notes sent home...hahahaha
In Minneapolis this may be true. The local farm kids near me trend toward lean and mean and make good Marines and Rangers.
Walking the track at recess, a great way to burn off energy.
I think your son will grow up just fine.
If I could ‘like’ this post I would.
“We women have been fighting for freedom right beside our men the world over since the first shot was fired, but, by all means, make sure our collective contributions are ignored due to male ego, LOL!”
Women have far less upper body strength than males. They run, on average, slower. They can pack less weight.
Are there things the average female can do in the military? Yes. Are there many things that women are largely unfit to do in the military? Yes.
My 6’1” 200lb SIL was in the infantry. By the end of two tours, he had damage to his brain, shoulders, neck, back & knees. His pancreas and liver belong in a 60+ year old man. He has to eat a heavily restricted diet and can no longer run. He can lift weights but needs to be careful and use much lighter weights. He is supposed to get an operation on his legs to remove some of the damage.
I did a tour in Afghanistan - at 49. 5’8” & 165 lbs, could run 1.5 miles in 9 minutes for my USAF PT test and do 80 pushups...but at 49, I really had no business in ground combat. I spent my time on the FOB, in part because I was no longer fit enough to belong in the field. I was in very good shape for a 49 year old guy, but I was the weakest link - and no honorable person wants to be the weakest link in a combat unit.
On the FOB, I was able to do some good still. I could still have flown combat missions OK. But I would have had no business in infantry at that point. Bifocals & 49 years had taken a toll.
And the vast majority of women I knew in the military could neither run a 6 minute mile nor do 80 pushups. For a great many things, from unloading supplies to putting up tents to getting a vehicle unstuck or picking up an injured guy...they ARE the weakest link in the unit.
We'd sometimes see these poor wretches at the messhall...the DI's would make the lightweights double up on the meal, and the porkers got a whole lot less than would be normal.
BTW - my last day in Jalalabad, I was carrying 150 lbs of gear to where we would get picked up. As I waddled beneath the load in the 100 deg heat, a 20 year old guy - about 6’ & 200 lbs - asked if he could help. He then picked up nearly 100 lbs of the gear that was in a dufflebag with one hand and carried it for me the last 300 yards.
That says all I need to know about ground combat and fitness. I could have whipped most of the women I met with one hand, but that guy could have beaten me senseless with one hand. There are times “wanting” just doesn’t count for squat.
I haven’t been to a military clothing Sales store in a while but it always confounded me that they stocked BDU pants in sizes like 42 W x 30 I. That’s an obese profile if you ask me.
Exactly.
And Marine boot camp was still like that during the Carter administration. I imagine it still is.
This is a non problem.
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