The Army Is Looking for a Few Good Couch Potatoes

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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It took the military a few years too many to figure out that you don’t have to be a Chuck Norris to serve your country. According to an article in the Florida Times-Union, the Army determined that being overweight would not interfere with the job of Cyber Warfare and is looking to adapt the rules to accept qualified geeks and nerds for the new Cyber Army.

Today, we need cyber warriors, so we're starting to recruit for Army Cyber. One of the things we're considering is that your [mission] as a cyber warrior is different. Maybe you're not the Ranger who can do 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups and run the 2-mile inside of 10 minutes, but you can crack a data system of an enemy.
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Skripka said:
Heh..."right move"...try less a "move" and more a "quadcopter deliver of pizza and soda". You are talking about fat nerds here. ;)
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C'mon now, you know that the mouse/keyboard is mightier than the sword in this case :D
 
Then let them recruit the fatties as civilian employees. The very idea of making exceptions to the physical requirements because makes me cringe at the future abuse. I understand that a significant portion of our population is overweight, reducing the pool of people with the mental capacity to do this job, but this is just silly.
 
Wait, this is just happening now? Currently, everyone in the Army, including the cooks and janitors, are capable of kicking your ass?
 
I would like to see the military recruiting booths at "esports" events... :p
 
I prefer the military at least go with the stereotypical Apple image. Bold head. Slim and fit. Tall. Black turtleneck sweater and jeans.
 
Yakk said:
I would like to see the military recruiting booths at "esports" events... :p
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South Koreans who win international events are exempted from the 18 months of mandatory military training. Such events include the Olympics, the World Cup, FIBA tournaments, and StarCraft.
 
I guess it depends on why they need them directly recruited into the army itself and not as contractors.

If they must be "owned" by the army, then ok. While you can be a decent network type and be somewhat fit, you aren't going to be kick people's ass fit because you spend too much time doing what they need you for.
 
"The U.S. Army now says that seven out of 10 young people between the ages of 17 and 24 are ineligible to become soldiers.

The alarming reduction in the pool of prospective soldiers worries Army brass and they largely attribute it to three issues: obesity or health problems; lack of a high school education; and criminal histories.

"There's a reliance on an ever-smaller group of people to serve and defend the country," said Maj. Gen. Allen Batschelet, commanding general for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Ky. "What do we do about that and how do we address that concern?"
 
GORANKAR said:
Then let them recruit the fatties as civilian employees. The very idea of making exceptions to the physical requirements because makes me cringe at the future abuse. I understand that a significant portion of our population is overweight, reducing the pool of people with the mental capacity to do this job, but this is just silly.
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I don't know, it struck me that the introduction of mandatory fitness exams in 1965 really could have significantly contributed to the brain drain problem in the armed forces. You need the right people for any given job. If your job is to keep electronics working why does it matter if you aren't the sort of person who can handle serious front-line combat? I thought you conservatives hated enforced equality for the sake of equality.
 
I personally never understood how someone can be so smart yet not care about their own health (like some top tier computer people). That said, if the job involves sitting on your ass all day, for years on end, why not allow them in.

Of course taxes will go up, they'll have to feed these beasts. USA, USA, USA!
 
DeathFromBelow said:
If your job is to keep electronics working why does it matter if you aren't the sort of person who can handle serious front-line combat?
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Because if your MOS is to keep electronics working you're deployable. The entire point of the fitness aspect of the military is so if you have to deploy you will be physically ready. No MOS is safe while deployed anymore. Some are drastically more hazardous but all of them are in danger of being killed to enemy actions.

With some aspects of cyber, there is no need to deploy in which case I can't see why they have to be in the "Army". Cyber is getting huge right now with 25D being the go to MOS for NCOs looking for promotion opportunities.

25D is an MOS they would have to deploy to secure military networks that are operational in theater. What would be hilarious is if 25D got an ASI that made these fatties non-deployable specifically because they are the blackhat side of the house and more concerned about hacking as opposed to pentesting their own networks.
 
DeathFromBelow said:
I don't know, it struck me that the introduction of mandatory fitness exams in 1965 really could have significantly contributed to the brain drain problem in the armed forces. You need the right people for any given job. If your job is to keep electronics working why does it matter if you aren't the sort of person who can handle serious front-line combat? I thought you conservatives hated enforced equality for the sake of equality.
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Every solder is also an infantryman. Maintaining a healthy weight is necessary to that end. It's not equality for the sake of eqaulity. I don't care if they hire on as civilians, but don't put a blob lacking the self discipline to even maintain a healthy weight in a uniform an expect anyone to consider them a solder.
 
1. Sergeant Hartman is rolling in his grave.
2. Boot camp should be amusing to watch.
3. Whoa whoa whoa, violent video games kill, but drone warfare is OK?
4. Do you really want a bunch of former basement dwellers nerd-raging when someone forgets to bring them their sandwich when they are playing Civ-Killer Drone Oppression?
 
I disagree with this entirely. As someone who both served in the military while meeting the physical requirements and is one of those computer geek types. I honestly just don't agree. Just because you are smart doesn't mean you have to be a fattie. If they want to hire those types, they have no requirements on civilian contractors for a reason. We need to push harder at encouraging fitness, not give up and accept laziness.

entropy13 said:
South Koreans who win international events are exempted from the 18 months of mandatory military training. Such events include the Olympics, the World Cup, FIBA tournaments, and StarCraft.
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Actually they aren't exactly exempted it is just delayed. They still have to serve, it is just something they are able to delay for a few years. That said, the Koreans are probably the best example of this. Pro gamers (geeks), yet you rarely see one out of shape. Why? because as a culture they don't tolerate fat and lazy. We as a culture need to Stop tolerating it. Sure there are a "Extremely small" percentage of people with conditions that cannot help it. The gross majority of the obese however can in fact help it, they just choose not to.
 
Skripka said:
Heh..."right move"...try less a "move" and more a "quadcopter deliver of pizza and soda". You are talking about fat nerds here. ;)
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55679355.jpg
 
Dekoth-E- said:
I disagree with this entirely. As someone who both served in the military while meeting the physical requirements and is one of those computer geek types. I honestly just don't agree.
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Weren't geeks portrayed like John Carmack? Skinny, glasses, slender, and a pale completion.
johncarmack.jpg
 
:eek:
Maybe you're not the Ranger who can do 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups and run the 2-mile inside of 10 minutes
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I'd like to know of the rangers able to do this. :rolleyes:
 
I would rather have the fat ass from Jurrasic Park Hacker on our side than theirs. Order the pizza and cheeto's. Watch the enemy planes fall from the sky without one bullet being fired. Hell, he would guide their missiles back onto themself. Yep, bring on the heffer killing machines.
 
As someone who has been in uniform, this is a PR message. While they may let you in the service overweight, the culture won't allow you to stay that way. But if that's what it takes to get a couple of desk chair soldiers to sign up, then kudos to all of them. The Army gets someone that scored higher than 40 on their ASVAB (kidding, don't get your camo panties in a bunch) and some desk-bound dynamos get some fresh air. Win-win!
 
GORANKAR said:
Then let them recruit the fatties as civilian employees. The very idea of making exceptions to the physical requirements because makes me cringe at the future abuse. I understand that a significant portion of our population is overweight, reducing the pool of people with the mental capacity to do this job, but this is just silly.
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had this been in place 8 years ago I would have joined. I am disqualified for service due to a torn ACL that was not surgically repaired. I could pass todays CFT at the time. currently I would be disqualified due to a few broken teeth. my wife is disqualified because she can't duck-walk for the Navy. yet I see significantly overweight people in uniform on a regular basis. I can understand the need for physical requirements, just seems sometimes they miss the forest for the trees.
 
GORANKAR said:
Then let them recruit the fatties as civilian employees. The very idea of making exceptions to the physical requirements because makes me cringe at the future abuse. I understand that a significant portion of our population is overweight, reducing the pool of people with the mental capacity to do this job, but this is just silly.
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I disagree completely. I agree that in all fields and positions that would involve physical activity and combat with the enemy strict physical requirements should be enforced.

This is cyber security, not feet on the ground or running around a complex alerting senior staff or fitting into a submarine. This is a job where you sit behind a computer all day and would NEVER be responsible for physical combat with the enemy. It is a fact that a larger percentage of nerds and geeks are overweight so if they open up the doors a little (no pun intended) they can get MORE qualified people.

I man or woman who sits behind a desk for 8 hours a day doesn't need to be able to do 100 push ups or even 10. This is completely separate and different.
 
Tgrove said:
"The U.S. Army now says that seven out of 10 young people between the ages of 17 and 24 are ineligible to become soldiers.

The alarming reduction in the pool of prospective soldiers worries Army brass and they largely attribute it to three issues: obesity or health problems; lack of a high school education; and criminal histories.

"There's a reliance on an ever-smaller group of people to serve and defend the country," said Maj. Gen. Allen Batschelet, commanding general for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Ky. "What do we do about that and how do we address that concern?"
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Wow. At what point does this ever-smaller group just say, "all the rest of you aren't worth defending anymore"
 
They are getting closer to removing humans from the equation altogether...
 
The whole reason there's minimum physical standards and consistent basic training is so that nobody is a burden on anyone else unless wounded during combat. Everyone, from the infantry grunt to the Colonel's secretary, is expected to be able to shoulder and use a weapon and carry their own weight if the SHTF base-side. That 400lb hacker is a 400lb liability.

dceremuga said:
I would rather have the fat ass from Jurrasic Park Hacker on our side than theirs. Order the pizza and cheeto's. Watch the enemy planes fall from the sky without one bullet being fired. Hell, he would guide their missiles back onto themself. Yep, bring on the heffer killing machines.
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Nedry got eaten. The "heifer killing machines" in the movie were the velociraptors. They literally killed a heifer. Then ate it. I'd rather have them on my side. You can have the fat computer nerd that can't fight his way out of a wet paper bag.
 
Phoenix333 said:
Nedry got eaten. The "heifer killing machines" in the movie were the velociraptors. They literally killed a heifer. Then ate it. I'd rather have them on my side. You can have the fat computer nerd that can't fight his way out of a wet paper bag.
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If they're solely US-based and taking down enemy networks, what's the issue? If a 400-lb person could be the one person who could disrupt enemy communications or response capabilities, saving lives...?

Not saying that's always the case, but c'mon, those living on the computer 24/7 are going to be heavier than average.
 
This thread overstates the changes being made to Army recruiting. What changes? There are none at all. In fact, the point made by the article is how difficult it would be to get approval for the changes discussed in this thread.
 
GORANKAR said:
Then let them recruit the fatties as civilian employees. The very idea of making exceptions to the physical requirements because makes me cringe at the future abuse. I understand that a significant portion of our population is overweight, reducing the pool of people with the mental capacity to do this job, but this is just silly.
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GORANKAR has a point. The purpose of all those benefits like medical care, commissaries, etc is that Soldiers are deployable to war zones. If they don't need to go to a war zone, they don't need to be soldiers. DoD Civilian is good enough for this kind of work. Don't need to be calling fatty Sergeant now do we.
 
trudude said:
They are getting closer to removing humans from the equation altogether...
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No they aren't, not where it counts. Boots on the ground will still be boots on the ground for a very long time to come.
 
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