Apart from medical reasons, one primary cause of disqualification as a potential recruit to the U.S. Army is failing to meet the standard height and weight requirement set by the U.S. Army.

Although there is a weight waiver provided that allows overweight people to enlist and lose weight while in basic training, the height requirement remains unchanged.

The weight waiver allowance came into existence in 2009, but this doesn’t mean all overweight individuals who meet height requirements are considered.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, one in four recruits to the military is disqualified due to weight-related issues.

Need to lose weight to join the Army?

Males – Click Here to learn about Instant Knockout, an effective fat burner.

Females – Click Here to learn about Lean Bean, an effective weight loss supplement.

NOTE: The above supplements are NOT intended for those under the age of 18.  If you are under the age of 18, do NOT consider taking them under any circumstances whatsoever.

Jump To An Army Height And Weight Chart

How Are Weight and Height Measurements Taken?

Army personnel takes official weight and height measurement to determine applicants’ physical condition.

This is part of the physical exam of the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) every applicant must follow and pass before being sworn in as a recruit.

Related Article – Army MOS List: A List Of All 159 Army Jobs

Both height and weight measurements are rounded up or down to the nearest whole digit.

The rounding off depends on whether it is more or less than .5lb or inch. For instance, if your weight is 119.6lbs, the official weight that will be noted down will be 120lbs.

If your weight exceeds the maximum limit provided for by the U.S. Army, then the MEPS officials may opt to carry out body fat percentage tests before giving you the go-ahead to be a recruit.

Height Requirements

The U.S military has a specific height range that all recruits fall in.

They have a strict height range because the military doesn’t have a flexible budget or time to tailor-make customized uniforms and equipment for officers outside the set height ranges.

Besides, the tanks, shipboard, and airplane jobs will be difficult if someone exceeds the set height standards.

The ideal height range for male applicants to the Armed Forces is between 60 inches and 80 inches.

Therefore, if you fall outside this range, you will be rejected.

For Armed Forces female applicants, the cause for rejection to the U.S. military is height less than 58 inches and more than 80 inches.

However, Marines, have more restrictive height standards with make applicants having a range of between 58 inches and 78 inches while female applicants should fall between 58 inches and 72 inches.

Growth Allowance

The minimum age for joining the US military is 17 years, although this calls for parental consent.

This means that there is still room for growth.

However, as long as you passed the physical exam of MEPS, you cannot be disqualified if you attain a height exceeding the set standards.  It should be noted that you may be disqualified for certain MOS ratings if there are height restrictions.

The most notable case of a military member is that of David Robinson, a renowned basketball player.

He started his military career within the official height standards but went on to add more than six inches in his first four years at the Naval Academy.

At the time of joining the military, he was 6’7,” but in four years, he had grown to 7’1″. This means he had exceeded the 80 inches height standards. Rather than receiving an honorable discharge, he was allowed to see off his contract.

He played professional basketball but continued serving active duty. He later served in Naval Reserves doing recruitment and promotion campaigns for the Navy.

Weight Requirements

This follows a standard chart that takes gender, age groups, and height into account to determine the maximum and minimum weight limits.

Recruits have a higher weight limit than those already serving in the military.

For instance, a recruit who is between 17 and 20 years, with a height of 60 inches, should not exceed 120lbs. for females and 139lbs for males.

However, if you are in the military, your maximum weight limit is 116lbs for females and 132lbs for males.

Weight Waiver

If you exceed the maximum weight limit for your height, gender, and age group, you may be granted a weight waiver as long as you are under the maximum body fat percentage for your age and gender.

With that in mind, let’s show you the height and weight requirements for joining the U.S. Army.

Here are a couple of charts showing the set standards for height and weight for men and women:

Army Height And Weight Standards For Men

Height (In Inches)	Minimum Weight	Age 17 – 20 Max Weight (in lbs.)	Age 21 – 27 Max Weight (in lbs.)	Age 28 – 39 Max. Weight (in lbs.)	Age 40+ Max Weight (in lbs.)
58	91
59	94
60	97	132	136	139	141
61	100	136	140	144	146
62	104	141	144	148	150
63	107	145	149	153	155
64	110	150	154	158	160
65	114	155	159	163	165
66	117	160	163	168	170
67	121	165	169	174	176
68	125	170	174	179	181
69	128	175	179	184	186
70	132	180	185	189	192
71	136	185	189	194	197
72	140	190	195	200	203
73	144	195	200	205	208
74	148	201	206	211	214
75	152	206	212	217	220
76	156	212	217	223	226
77	160	218	223	229	232
78	164	223	229	235	238
79	168	229	235	241	244
80	173	234	240	247	250

Army Height And Weight Standards For Women

Height (in inches)	Minimum Weight (in lbs.)	Age 17 – 20 Max. Weight (in lbs.)	Age 21 – 27 Max. Weight (in lbs.)	Age 28 – 39 Max. Weight (in lbs.)	Age 40+ Max Weight (in lbs.)
58	91	119	121	122	124
59	94	124	125	126	128
60	97	128	129	131	133
61	100	132	134	135	137
62	104	136	138	140	142
63	107	141	143	144	146
64	110	145	147	149	151
65	114	150	152	154	156
66	117	155	156	158	161
67	121	159	161	163	166
68	125	164	166	168	171
69	128	169	171	173	176
70	132	174	176	178	181
71	136	179	181	183	186
72	140	184	186	188	191
73	144	189	191	194	197
74	148	194	197	199	202
75	152	200	202	204	208
76	156	205	207	210	213
77	160	210	213	215	219
78	164	216	218	221	225
79	168	221	224	227	230
80	173	227	230	233	236

The Need to Stay Fit In the Army

Keeping within the weights and height standards of the army is a must for both active duty and reserve soldiers.

More often, the physical activities of the Army ensure their weight and body fat composition stays within limits. However, they have to get into a regular physical fitness routine for those assigned desk duties to keep their bodies fit.

The army does not condone overweight individuals and soldiers with poor body composition for prolonged periods since this may lead to a decreased individual performance thereby disrupting their respective units.

That’s why everyone must be physically fit and have a low body fat composition.