Being a part of the U.S. Army comes with a variety of challenges, including the many physical challenges you’ll face throughout training and service. You’ll need to be in peak physical condition, as Soldiers are placed in a variety of life-threatening scenarios, put through rigorous training, and may need to contend with hostile combat situations. The Army height and weight standards are in place to keep Soldiers in shape and to provide guidelines to our fighting force.

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What Is the Army Height and Weight Standards?

Height and weight Army standards depend on a variety of factors, including your age, biological gender, and height. Here’s a rundown of the U.S. Army height and weight standards in 2022 to help guide you through both male and female requirements:

U.S. Army Weight Standards by Age for Men

Army Female Weight Standards by Age

To find information regarding height standards for your age and other considered factors, visit this link.

The Debate Surrounding Military Fitness

The Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) is a necessary process that all members of the military must go through in order to qualify for service. Here, you’ll be tested on your physical abilities to be sure that they are up to the Army’s fitness standards. These standards, however, revolve around performance, not a chart gauging height and weight measurements that feel more than outdated. Some within the Armed Forces are even questioning current metrics being used versus looking at performance. While certain physical traits are necessary to achieve ideal physical performance, every body is different, and assessing all Americans in the same way can hurt the military’s cause. There have already been significant obstacles in recruiting due to candidates missing the Army height and weight standards. Weight waivers are available for those who fail to meet the Army’s standards for height and weight, so long as they maintain a maximum body fat percentage that is underneath the standards for their age and gender. It should be noted that while the Army does have waiver programs, they are not universal. Candidates are chosen on a case-by-case basis. Opponents of the current standards are not against having a fighting force that's in fighting shape. Who would be? But rather, they are questioning the idea centered around making a certain weight to maintain standards. The standards in place can inspire less-than-healthy methods to reach weight goals for both those entering the Army and Soldiers that are being evaluated every six months through the Army Weight Control Program (AWCP). A call to focus more on body fat and performance rather than the number on a scale continues to create a dialogue, but for now, the Army height and weight standard stand.

Meet the Army Height and Weight Standards With the Army Body Fat Calculator

The Army Body Fat Calculator uses standards and calculations from the U.S. Army Standards of Medical Fitness to determine whether or not you fit within the standards laid out by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Simply follow the instructions, including taking the average of your three calculations, to get a general idea of where you stand. Again, exceptions may apply, but you can compare your numbers with the percentages that fall within the standard as listed. Meeting the Army height and weight standards is an important step in joining and remaining in the branch. It’s encouraging to see debates arise to better the method of measuring Soldiers while maintaining excellence. These standards are imperfect, but they help set the tone for how serious staying in shape is for Soldiers and all troops in the American Armed Forces.

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