A federal watchdog criticized the Army for breaking with its own requirements when it admitted trainees to a fitness course despite their dietary makeup not meeting the course’s requirements.
The Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General found the Army’s Future Soldier Preparatory Course — which contains a fitness component named the Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength 2.0 Pilot Program, or ARMS — accepted recruits with body fat percentages higher than the approved amount. In doing so, the Army endangered their wellbeing, the IG’s office said in a Feb. 18 advisory.
“Of the 1,181 trainees who attended the ARMS 2.0 pilot program from February 12, 2024, through May 22, 2024, 14 percent (163 trainees) exceeded the allowable 8 percent above the body fat composition limit for initial entry, with the highest being 19 percent,” the report said.
The Defense Department lists body fat composition limits as 20% for men and 26% for women.
The IG also found that the Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, South Carolina, failed to provide trainees with consistent medical guidance as they shed weight. Regular services should’ve included “metabolic and cardiovascular screenings, weekly assessment by a registered dietitian, or medical clearance before moving to basic training,” per the report.
Medical personnel shortages partially led to these shortcomings, the report acknowledged.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command maintains that they monitor trainees weekly and help ensure the safety of recruits shedding weight by providing cardiovascular and metabolic screenings, according to a statement from department spokesperson Maj. Chris Robinson.
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Individuals with a higher body fat composition were at an increased risk of “adverse medical consequences,” in part due to the limited medical counsel, according to the report.
The command surgeon for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the medical director at Fort Jackson admitted in “internal communication[s]” that the weight-loss program contained increased health risks, including the potential for death, the report said.
Gen. Gary M. Brito, commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, responded to the IG’s findings in December 2024. He took issue with both the report’s claim that there was an improper record of trainees’ medical services and that trainees didn’t receive screenings and dietitian evaluations.
Brito also disagreed that internal communications at U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command indicated trainees had experienced risk of death while trying to lose weight quickly to meet body fat percentage standards. Instead, Brito described the correspondence as detailing comorbidities.
Based on their findings, the IG recommended the Army investigate how trainees who were above body-fat requirements were admitted into the ARMS program in the first place. The Army agreed with the recommendation.
The IG also recommended that the Army better manage staff and resources available for the pilot program to ensure that the medical service requirements of the program are met.
“Gen. Brito has requested that the U.S. Army Audit Agency (AAA) perform an audit to determine the root causes, review corrective actions, and assist the Army in addressing the DoDIG recommendations,” Robinson said.
This comes amid what is reportedly a positive year in recruitment for the Army, which is expected to meet its enlistment goals for 2025 despite difficulties with doing so in the years prior. In January, then-Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told The Associated Press the service was expecting to bring in 61,000 new recruits by the end of fiscal 2025.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
