By Victoria Manning | Restoration News
To increase military enlistment numbers, the Biden Defense Department created a fat camp for recruits who couldn’t meet physical requirements. The Inspector General (IG) found this put young people at risk. Further, the program did not receive proper monitoring in 2024. The Commanding General in charge still won’t admit to the problems.
A 2020 study found that 77 percent of youth ages 17-24 could not qualify for military enlistment for various reasons. This includes 35 percent unqualified as overweight.
In an attempt to improve recruiting eligibility, the Biden military stood up the Future Soldier Preparatory Course in January 2023. The purpose—to help youth “unlock their true potential and meet our standards,” according to Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis, former Commanding General of Fort Jackson. Youth who couldn’t pass fitness or academic requirements could apply for the course.
Military Fat Camp Put Recruits at Risk
The fitness program limited participation to recruits who failed to meet the body fat composition for enlistment but who were no more than 8 percent above the requirements.
The IG report published Feb. 18, 2025, found the Army allowed recruits into the program in 2024 who exceeded the body fat composition by up to 19 percent.
More than 160 trainees exceeded the limit, and the report found the program put them at “increased risk of suffering adverse medical consequences while trying to lose weight in a short time.”
General Gary Brito, the commander in charge of the program, disagreed with the IG’s findings despite their documented evidence. Gen. Brito provided no substantiation of his rebuttal claims.
The IG report found the command made the decision to permit recruits up to 10 percent body fat over enlistment requirements, even though the Defense Department regulations only permit 8 percent. Brito unilaterally set his own standards and then even exceeded those, according to the IG report.
Most egregiously, recruits did not receive required weekly assessment by a registered dietician nor did they receive required metabolic and cardiovascular screenings before moving to basic training.
The IG report concluded with three recommendations it considered unresolved because leadership failed to provide acceptable remediation to the concerns. While the Future Soldier Prep Course may have some value, leadership must safely implement it.
It Wasn’t Just Obesity Keeping Recruits Away
While obesity is certainly a factor impacting military enlistment, it’s certainly not the only one. The world was on fire under Joe Biden’s weak presidency. Israel and Ukraine were both attacked. Iran launched rockets at ships in the Red Sea to try to overtake shipping lanes. The world feared that a lack of strong American leadership would lead to World War III—which certainly impacted military recruitment.
During President Trump’s first term, the military set high recruiting goals—and fulfilled them.. When Biden came into office, recruitment numbers and goals both declined.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump supported a strong military but also emphasized the need to end the wars around the world, not start them. By nominating Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, Trump showed his support for building a military of warfighters and recruitment based on merit, not racist equity practices.
While obesity and mental health issues have negatively impacted recruitment, an issue not discussed in military reports is the drastic decline of white males. From 2018 to 2023, the number of white male Army recruits declined 43 percent. Former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth encouraged, “strategically deploying recruiters to communities across the country based on demographics, ethnicity, race, and gender.” The Air Force had an explicit goal to reduce the number of white male recruits.
Under Biden, white males received a clear message through diversity, equity, and inclusion policies they were not welcome or valued in the U.S. Military. Fortunately, that has now changed, and the military now bases recruitment on ability and merit, not a person’s sex or skin color. Military leaders who promoted policies that discriminate based on race must be held accountable—Trump is determined to eradicate this racism from our nation.
Thanks to the strong leadership of Sec. Hegseth and President Trump, the U.S. Army had its single best recruiting month in 15 years in January 2025. The Future Soldier Preparatory Course may no longer be needed as long as Trump is president.
First published on Restoration News
Leave a Comment