U.S. Army Height and Weight Standards for Females In 2024

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 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 can 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 follow.

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 old, 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 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 stay within limits. However, those assigned desk duties, have to get into a regular physical fitness routine 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 deceased individual’s performance thereby disrupting 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 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 before 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’s 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 or 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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