U.S. Defense Department To Ban Beer And Pizza?

U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan make an Independence Day toast over a special holiday treat of pizzas and non-alcoholic beers. (Sgt. Roland Hale/Army)

Military Times: Defense Department to ban beer and pizza? Mandatory keto diet may enhance military performance

The controversial ketogenic or “keto” diet may be the future of the military, some defense officials say.

Service members, and Navy SEALS especially, may have to forgo beer and burritos for skinny cocktails and avocado salad (forget the tortilla chips) if a proposal from Special Operations Command gains momentum.

While a nutritionally enhanced future could eventually be put into effect for all branches, the SEALS and other underwater dive-mission specialists might be the first groups targeted for the change in nutritional guidelines.

Lisa Sanders, the director of science and technology at U.S. Special Operations Command, presented an Ohio State University study that recommends the nutritional change based on the keto diet, which is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. The diet works to deprive the body of glucose needed for energy and forces it to burn stored fats instead. The study was conducted on the university’s Army ROTC cadet population.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I love beer and pizza.

The U.S. Army Is Having A Fitness Crisis

U.S. Army Pfc. Micah Rousseau performs the linear back press to strengthen his thighs at the Air Cavalry Gymnasium on Camp Taji, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2009. Rousseau is a tanker assigned to the 1st Calvary Division's Company D, 2nd Battlalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Bridage Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Bailey Jester. (Wikimedia)

Popular Mechanics: Why the Army Is Having a Fitness Crisis

Many Americans aren't fit enough to serve, and those who do make the cut are struggling

The Army is worried that America is getting too out of shape to fight.

The lack of fitness in America's youth has been a problem for the military for years. According to a recent study by the Heritage foundation, more than 70 percent of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are ineligible to serve for some reason — and for many, it comes down to their physical fitness level.

For those who do make the cut, poor fitness can quickly lead to injuries during training — particularly among recruits from the Southern U.S., one of the most fertile recruiting grounds for the military. To fix this, the army wants to "fundamentally change the culture of fitness in the military," according to a new report by the Fayettville Observer.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: These numbers always surprise me .... more than 70 percent of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are ineligible to serve for some reason.

American Soldiers Are Getting Fat

Task & Purpose: America’s Soldiers Are Fatter Than Ever. Here’s The Army’s Plan To Fix That

The U.S. Army is bulking up — just not in the way it probably intended.

In October 2016, a Department of Defense study revealed that the Army was the fattest of all the service branches, with 10.5% of soldiers classified as overweight based on body mass index. But less than a year later, the problem appears to have worsened: At the 2017 Medical Symposium on June 24, the Army Surgeon General’s Office presented data indicating that a full 13% of soldiers are now overweight.

Army officials claim to have a solution in the works, and not just in terms of more intensive PT. Called “Holistic Health and Fitness,” the initiative aims to improve soldiers’ physical performances, performance education, and fitness centers, according to an Army press release — and initiative that includes removing unhealthy food from vending machines, offering cleaner meals in chow halls, and adding vegan and vegetarian dishes, similar to the Marine Corps’ switch to healthier chow fare in March.

Read more ....

Update: Army launches holistic health and fitness initiative (US Army)

WNU Editor: The above video shows what the US Marines are doing to keep their men and women fit.

Here's How The U.S. Army’s Top Rangers Decide Who’s The Best

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Erich Friedlein, left, comforts his overwhelmed teammate, Capt. Robert Killian, after they finished the three-day Best Ranger Competition in first place at Fort Benning, Georgia, April 17, 2016. DoD photo by Katie Lange 

DoD Live: 60 Brutal Hours: How Army’s Top Rangers Decide Who’s Best

If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to win a 60-hour competition with nonstop physical challenges, this photo about sums it up.

Most of you have done rucks and runs and obstacle courses during your military careers, but imagine doing 14 of those in a row over three days with practically no rest in between. That’s the Best Ranger Competition – basically an Ironman for U.S. Army Rangers who, like the Navy SEALS and other Special Forces, are some of the military’s toughest. It’s not part of Ranger training, but every competitor I talked to said they’d prepared for a long time, and it’s helped them focus on bettering their weaknesses. - See more at: http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2016/04/60-brutal-hours-how-armys-top-rangers-decide-whos-best/#sthash.inv9f6u2.dpuf

Read more ....

WNU Editor: And I thought doing the Marathon was hard.

U.S. Navy Makes It Easier To Pass Its Fitness Tests

At sea aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) Aug. 7, 2002 -- Chief Petty Officer Selectees work out during morning physical fitness training with Chief Petty Officers on the bow of George Washington. The Washington battlegroup is on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Photographer's Mate Joseph Dorey

The Telegraph: US navy to give overweight sailors a second chance at fitness tests

Sailors who fail the Navy's body fat test are allowed to be given a second chance under a new, less stringent, exam.

Overweight sailors who failed the US navy’s strict fitness tests are to be given a further chance, as the force struggles to find enough talented crew members.

So intense was the struggle to lose weight that some in the Navy were undergoing liposuction, taking diet pills and embarking on crash diets.

"What we've tried to do in this policy change — with the tenets of better health and being mission ready as the focus — is to also make sure we're not throwing out good sailors because we can't meet both ends of that spectrum," said Vice Admiral Bill Moran, speaking last summer.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: They should could keep the same standards that have served everyone well for years .... but I guess that in today's world the standards need to be different.

Women Are Queuing Up To A Navy SEAL Fitness Program

Girl power: About 20 to 30per cent of the SEALFIT clients are women

Move Over G.I. Jane! Grueling Navy SEAL Fitness Program Goes Mainstream With Women Queuing Up -- Daily Mail

* 8 Weeks to SEALFIT is a new fitness book that features the 'ground-breaking training regimens' practiced by Navy SEALs

Training for U.S. Navy SEALs, the special operations force, follows a warrior tradition that harkens back to Samurais, but fitness experts say the tough regime is gaining popularity with entrepreneurs, corporate executives, lawyers, elite athletes and women.

The workout, geared toward mental as well as physical transformation, is so demanding that the casual gym-goer looking to shed ten pounds before swimsuit season need not apply.

'We look at training as being as important to our life as eating and sleeping,' said retired Navy SEAL commander and fitness instructor Mark Divine, the author of 8 Weeks to SEALFIT: a Navy Seal’s Guide to Unconventional Training for Physical and Mental Toughness.

Read more ....

My Comment: The lengths that some men women go through to have a fit body has always amazed me .... here is an easy prediction .... if marketed properly this fitness program will be a hit.

Their YouTube channel is here.

U.S. Soldiers Turn To Liposuction To Pass The Pentagon's Body Fat Test

An officer competes during the Best in the West 2013 Invitational S.W.A.T. Competition (Reuters / Josh Edelson)

Suck It Out: Chubby Military Personnel Are Getting Liposuction To Pass Pentagon's Body Fat Test -- Daily Mail

* Military personnel are getting liposuction to pass the Pentagon's body fat test
* The Defense Department's method of estimating body fat is considered unfair because it knocks out personnel with muscular builds
* Fitness experts claim the military's fitness standards are outdated and don't reflect that Americans are bigger
* Personnel can get kicked out of the military if they don't pass tests
* The number of Army soldiers booted for being overweight has jumped tenfold in the past five years

The soldiers often call Dr. Adam Tattelbaum, a plastic surgeon, in a panic.

They need liposuction, and fast.

A number of military personnel are turning to the surgical procedure to remove excess fat from around the waist so they can pass the Pentagon's body fat test, which can determine their future prospects in the military.

Read more ....

Update: US military personnel increasingly choosing liposuction to beat body fat tests -- RT

My Comment: With the wars ending and the cuts now happening .... the standards that need to be met to be in the military will rise.

Only One-In-Four Americans Are Fit To Serve In The U.S. Military

Only One-In-Four Americans Fit To Serve In The Military -- RT

Most Americans are ineligible to join the military, either because they’re drug users, obese, medically unfit, failed to graduate high school, or have criminal records. The Pentagon estimates that only 25 percent of Americans are qualified.

Military officials claim that they are able to be more selective, largely because the high youth unemployment rate and the drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan have prompted more people to apply.

“There’s a lot more competition,” Sergeant First Class Israel Herrera told CNN. “There are not many opportunities out there, but the Army provides employment and stability, and that makes it an attractive option.”

But for the overwhelming majority of US citizens, joining the military has become difficult – especially amid continuously rising obesity rates and high unemployment.

Read more ....

My Comment: No surprises in this report .... everyone knows that Americans are getting fat .... but what I find interesting about this report is that it is Russian TV that is reporting it. As for U.S. coverage of this 'growing' problem, they have been covering it for years.

Can A Model Handle Navy SEAL Training?

Can A Model Handle Navy SEAL Training? -- Military.com

Lauren prepares to take on her toughest challenge yet — training with former Navy SEALs at Extreme SEAL Experience in Chesapeake, VA. No woman has ever completed this training — will Lauren be the first? Find out in this three-​​part episode, launching on October 31.

Join fitness model Lauren Berlingeri as she takes on a crazy new challenge each week. Whether training with the FDNY, tossing axes with STIHL Timbersports legends, or bounding through parkour routines, our fearless host manages to land on her feet with a smile (well, most of the time!).

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Part 1 is here.

U.S. Military Leaders: U.S. Kids Are Too Fat To Fight

Retired Military Leaders: Junk Food a U.S. Security Threat. © flickr.com/ ebruli

Retired Military Leaders Say This Generation Is "Too Fat To Fight" -- CBS

(CBS News) Is obesity America's greatest threat to national security?

A group of retired military leaders seem to think so, given 27 percent of 17 to 24-year-olds in the United States are too fat to serve in the military. That's 9 million potential recruits.

In their new report dubbed "Too Fat to Fight," the nonpartisan group of 100 retired generals and admirals known as Mission: Readiness calls on the U.S. government to reduce the amount of junk foods available at schools in favor of healthier options.

Read more ....

More News On US Military Concerns Over Childhood Obesity

Military leaders: We're still too fat to fight -- CNN
Retired military chiefs: Obesity levels mean US is 'too fat to fight' -- The Hill
Childhood obesity becomes a military matter -- Washington Post
Retired Military Leaders: Junk Food a U.S. Security Threat -- RIA Novsoti
Military leaders battle junk food -- USA Today
Retired Generals Fear That Kids Are Too Fat for War -- Danger Room
Too fat to fight: Is childhood obesity a national security threat? -- Lisa Suhay, Christian Science Monitor

The CIA Needs A Fitness Gym

The CIA seal is displayed in the lobby of CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. (File Photo)

CIA's Mission Impossible: Get A New Gym -- Wall Street Journal

Agency's Quest Is Marathon Effort; Washington's Workout Culture.

Gen. David Petraeus turned the tide in the Iraq war, flushed the Taliban from southern strongholds in Afghanistan and infiltrated al Qaeda in Yemen. His newest quest, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, is proving just as daunting: getting more space for treadmills.

Mr. Petraeus, 59 years old, arrived in 2011 to find two basement gyms at the CIA's Langley, Va., headquarters, one with original flooring dating to 1964. A hallway doubles as an indoor running track; it takes 10.25 laps to cover a mile. One gym is so small it can't contain the punching bags and medicine balls that spill into the hall, where people stretch out and do mat exercises.

Read more ....

My Comment: As a fitness nut, this is an easy debate. Build the gym .... correction .... build a massive and modern gym. I am sure that it will be expensive to build, but I am also sure that it will pay dividends in the long run.

Poor Grades And Obesity Are National Security Threats

Retired Military Officers: Lazy Summers Threaten National Security -- Stars and Stripes

Hundreds of high-ranking, retired military officers have joined the chorus of summer school proponents, arguing that what children do in the summertime is a matter of national security.

A California-specific report released Thursday by the Mission: Readiness organization, led by retired generals and admirals, says the lack of summer programs has left too many kids on the couch, eating junk food, with a two-month vacation from learning. That, the group says, is contributing to food insecurity, childhood obesity and the school dropout rate, which are undermining the nation's economy and the strength of the armed forces.

Read more ....

My Comment: History is a good indicator on what happens when a nation becomes "fat", "lazy", and "stupid" .... in short .... it's never a happy ending.

A Look At How Some Infantry Marines Keep In Shape

Vimeo/Dmitry Kostyukov

Check Out The Creative Ways These Badass Infantry Marines Keep In Shape -- Business Insider

Sure, fitness is just another part of being a Marine, but what about when you are deployed overseas with no real gym equipment?

Doesn't matter.

As depicted in this video by Dmitry Kostyukov, these guys can throw together a complete gym with barely any real equipment.

U.S. Marine Sergeant Jacob Way, stationed at Marine Corps Base in Hawaii, told Business Insider that the Marines in the video are "just doing what's normal." He says:

Read more ....

My Comment: The Marines have a reputation of scrounging and going to war with what they have. I guess the same can be said of their gym accessories.

Who Is Fit To Deploy, And Who Is Not

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The U.S. Military Doesn’t Know Who Is Fit To Fight -- Washington Post

How good is the U.S. military at determining who is fit for battle?

Ten years into the war in Afghanistan, and after nearly nine years of war in Iraq, we know that the defining injuries of these conflicts for our service members include traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. We also understand that the all-volunteer force is stretched thin and that multiple deployments to combat zones are routine.

What military physicians don’t have a good sense of, however, is how to tell whether a combat veteran is still qualified for the battlefield. And the tragedy this month in Afghanistan, where Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, on his fourth combat tour, allegedly slaughtered 17 civilians and has been charged with murder, underscores the urgency of finding a better solution.

Read more ....

My Comment: The above video has retired Army Colonel and NBC military analyst Jack Jacobs defending multiple deployments. As to what is my take .... hundreds of thousands of Americans have been deployed overseas, and the worse case has been (that we know of) Sgt. Bales. Was he an anomaly .... or have we been lucky .... that is an answer that I do not know.

Half Of All British Soldiers Are Overweight

Half Of Our Soldiers Are Overweight... And More Than One In Ten Are Obese -- The Daily Mail

More than half of British soldiers are overweight or obese, it emerged last night.

A study of Army personnel funded by the Ministry of Defence found that 57 per cent are too heavy for their height, with 12 per cent classed as obese.

The report warned that while the figures were lower than among civilians, they could jeopardise health and leave the soldiers too unfit to fight.

Read more ....

My Comment: I am not surprised by this study at all. Running and managing new weapon systems and war operations are sexy .... running a gym and diet class is not. With such a contrast .... where do you think all the focus is on.

Trying To Lighten The Load That Troops Must Carry

Weight Of War: Soldiers' Heavy Gear Packs On Pain -- NPR

Soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan routinely carry between 60 and 100 pounds of gear including body armor, weapons and batteries.

The heavy loads shouldered over months of duty contribute to the chronic pain suffered by soldiers like Spc. Joseph Chroniger, who deployed to Iraq in 2007.

Read more ....

Update #1: Gear that protects troops can also cause injuries -- Republican American/Seattle Times
Update #2: Military struggling to lighten load for troops -- Republican American/Seattle Times

My Comment: Recognizing this, getting into 'proper' shape for the new Army is now becoming a priority.

But even if you are the strongest man in the platoon .... carrying 60 - 100 lbs over a length of time .... I don't care who you are .... with time that is going to hurt.