If joining the Army is something you want to do, there’s one thing you should learn about right away which is the U.S. Army height and weight standards for females. Army female height and weight standards are a major part of the screening process for future soldiers, and it’s something that all officers and enlisted recruits have to deal with as a mandatory condition of joining the military.
For female soldiers, the United States Army has set height and weight standards. The US Army Female Height and Weight Standards are used to determine if a female is of the right size to enroll. This blog article will go over the various height and weight standards in the military, as well as possible options for people who do not meet the requirements.
How are Army Weight and Height Measurements Taken?
Army recruits take official weight and height measurements to determine a candidate’s physical condition.
This is a compulsory part of the physical exam of the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) that every candidate must follow and pass before being sworn in as a new recruit.
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 inch. For example, if your weight is 119.6 lbs, the official weight that will be noted down will be 120 lbs.
If your weight goes over the required maximum limit, then the MEPS officials are able to carry out body fat percentage tests before letting you continue to be a recruit.
These are the requirements that they must meet if they want to enlist in the army. The information is broken down into two categories: height and weight.
Female Height Requirement for Army
The U.S. military has specific height range standards that all recruits have to fall in.
The reason why they have such a strict height range requirement is that the military doesn’t have a flexible budget or time to tailor-make customized uniforms and equipment for officers outside the set of that height range.
In addition, the tanks, shipboard, and airplane duties will be too hard to conduct if someone doesn’t meet the set of height standards. 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 a height of fewer than 58 inches and more than 80 inches according to some statistics.
However, Marines have more restrictive height standards with make applicants have a range of between 58 inches and 78 inches while female applicants should fall between 58 inches and 72 inches.
Is there a 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 pass 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.
Army Female Weight Standards
This follows a standard chart that takes gender, age groups, and height into account to determine the maximum and minimum weight limits.
New recruits have a higher weight limit than those already serving in the military.
For example, a recruit who is between 17 and 20 years, with a height of 60 inches, should not exceed 120 lbs for females and 139 lbs 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.
US Army female height and weight standards
Below you will find the United States Army has height and weight maximum and minimum requirements to join the Army for female applicants. Army height and weight requirements for women vary by age, so it is important to know the category you fall under.
Height and weight measurements are recorded at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and are taken using inches and pounds. This is the Army women’s height weight chart:
* Note: Weight by years of age for females (lbs)
17-20yrs | 21-27 yrs | 28-39 yrs | 40+yrs | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4ft 10in | Min | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 |
Max | 119 | 121 | 122 | 124 | |
4ft 11in | Min | 94 | 94 | 94 | 94 |
Max | 124 | 125 | 126 | 128 | |
5ft 0in | Min | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 |
Max | 128 | 129 | 131 | 133 | |
5ft 1in | Min | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Max | 132 | 134 | 135 | 137 | |
5ft 2in | Min | 104 | 104 | 104 | 104 |
Max | 136 | 138 | 140 | 142 | |
5ft 3in | Min | 107 | 107 | 107 | 107 |
Max | 141 | 143 | 144 | 146 | |
5ft 4in | Min | 110 | 110 | 110 | 110 |
Max | 145 | 147 | 149 | 151 | |
5ft 5in | Min | 114 | 114 | 114 | 114 |
Max | 150 | 152 | 154 | 156 | |
5ft 6in | Min | 117 | 117 | 117 | 117 |
Max | 155 | 156 | 158 | 161 | |
5ft 7in | Min | 121 | 121 | 121 | 121 |
Max | 159 | 161 | 163 | 166 | |
5ft 8in | Min | 125 | 125 | 125 | 125 |
Max | 164 | 166 | 168 | 171 | |
5ft 9in | Min | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 |
Max | 169 | 171 | 173 | 176 | |
5ft 10in | Min | 132 | 132 | 132 | 132 |
Max | 174 | 176 | 178 | 181 | |
5ft 11in | Min | 136 | 136 | 136 | 136 |
Max | 179 | 181 | 183 | 186 | |
6ft 0in | Min | 140 | 140 | 140 | 140 |
Max | 184 | 186 | 188 | 191 | |
6 1in | Min | 144 | 144 | 144 | 144 |
Max | 189 | 191 | 194 | 197 | |
6 2in | Min | 148 | 148 | 148 | 148 |
Max | 194 | 197 | 199 | 202 | |
6 3in | Min | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 |
Max | 200 | 202 | 204 | 208 | |
6ft 4in | Min | 156 | 156 | 156 | 156 |
Max | 205 | 207 | 210 | 213 | |
6ft 5in | Min | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
Max | 210 | 213 | 215 | 219 | |
6ft 6in | Min | 164 | 164 | 164 | 164 |
Max | 216 | 218 | 221 | 225 | |
6ft 7in | Min | 168 | 168 | 168 | 168 |
Max | 221 | 224 | 227 | 230 | |
6ft 8in | Min | 173 | 173 | 173 | 173 |
Max | 227 | 230 | 233 | 236 |
Female Maximum Body Fat Percentages
Female Age Groups |
||||
Age |
17-20 |
21-27 |
28-39 |
40+ |
Body Fat % |
30% |
32% |
34% |
36% |
All US Army soldiers are weighed twice a year to ensure that they meet the weight standards set by the Army. Already enlisted Army soldiers who are above standards will be admitted into the Weight Management Program, which requires soldiers to lose a certain amount of weight in a monthly time period. Soldiers who fall below the set minimum weight standards will be sent for medical evaluation.
Why Do You Need to Stay Fit in the Army?
Keeping within the Army height and weight standards for females is a mandatory condition 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, those assigned desk duties, have to get into a regular physical fitness routine to keep their bodies fit.
Apparently, the army does not condone overweight individuals and soldiers with poor body composition for prolonged periods since this may lead to a deceased individual’s performance thereby causing disruption to their respective units.
That’s why everyone must be physically fit and have a low body fat composition.
Read more >> US Army Height And Weight Standards
Army Height and Weight Standards for Females – FAQs
Can you join the army if you’re fat?
There’s one way for you to still serve the U.S. Armed Forces if you are obese. It’s by receiving a medical waiver. Approximately 20% of new recruits need a waiver for their weight to attend boot camp. However, those who receive a waiver must lose weight and meet the minimum requirements prior to the end of boot camp to be able to continue training.
What happens if you fail the height and weight army?
As mentioned above, the Army female height and weight standards play an important role in the process of getting into the Army and it’s required. So if you fail the Height Weight standard, bad things can happen to you. You can get discharged from the military, FLAGGED, your bonus can be recouped, and you can even miss out on schools and promotions.
Which branch of the military is best for females?
Since women often say travel was their reason for enlisting in the Army, it is no surprise that many choose to serve in the Navy. It is said to be the best place for those who like to travel while the Air Force is considered as being far ahead in such quality of life issues as housing which may influence other women’s decisions.
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