Overweight soldiers holding the Army back in Afghanistan, leaked memo claims
The fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan is being hampered by fat soldiers who are not fit enough to fight, a leaked memo has disclosed.
By Duncan Gardham
Published: 4:28PM BST 02 Aug 2009
According to Major Brian Dupree, the British Army is in danger of losing its "warrior ethos" as soldiers skip physical training sessions and obesity in the forces increases.
Major Dupree, of the Physical Training Corps, said the increase in soldiers who are "unfit to deploy" is linked to an "indifferent" attitude to physical fitness.
Related Articles
*
Tories: 'strong case' for more Afghanistan troops
He warned that "operational effectiveness" is being undermined and soldiers' lives could be at risk because some are soldiers are unable to cope with the conditions in Afghanistan.
In the memo, dated July 10, Major Dupree said: "The numbers of personnel unable to deploy and concerns about obesity throughout the army are clearly linked to current attitudes towards physical training."
He says that even the minimum two to three hours of physical fitness a week are being ignored as the number of soldiers classified as Personnel Unfit to Deploy (PUD) has risen to 3,860 with a further 8,190 regarded as being of "limited deployability" for medical reasons.
"The current army fitness policy states that to be fit to fight requires a minimum of two to three hours of physical activity per week. It is clear that even this most basic policy is not being implemented," Major Dupree said.
"To cope with the demands of hybrid operations in Afghanistan and future conflicts the army needs personnel with that battle-winning edge that sustains them through adversity. It is clear this message has been diluted recently and this attitude must change.
"The increasing PUD list and concerns over obesity in the services are clearly linked to this indifferent attitude."
He concludes that the army has "not consistently maintained our standards of physical fitness" and needs to "reinvigorate a warrior ethos and a culture of being fit".
The report states: "The demands on time, which are acknowledged, are such that physical training has been regarded as something that can be cut from busy schedules. This approach cannot continue. Strong leadership is expected in this area."
Three years ago, the army relaxed its rules to allow the recruitment of soldiers with a higher Body Mass Index (a calculation of their weight in comparison to their height) after research found that two thirds of British teenagers were too fat to meet fitness requirements. The army now accepts applicants with a BMI of 32 - two points above the World Health Organisation's definition of obesity.
A board of inquiry in 2007 revealed how Private Jason Smith's died of heat stroke in Iraq after concerns about his BMI. The inquiry said he was "at the higher level of obese".
To counter the growing problem, the Army will introduce a "body composition measurement" in October to weed out overweight troops, alongside a minimum of three physical training sessions a week.
The army's Basic Fitness Test requires soldiers to complete a one and a half mile run in under 10mins and 30secs, rising with age, while the Combat Fitness Test requires troops to complete an 8 mile run with 20kg (44lb) of kit in under two hours along with 44 press ups and 50 sit ups in two minutes each.
Patrick Mercer MP, a former colonel in the army and former head of strategy at the Army Training and Recruiting Agency, called the lack of personal fitness "disgraceful" and added: "The army is desperately undermanned anyway and for obesity to be a problem is extraordinary."
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Following a review of recent evidence, direction has been given to the chain of command to take action to ensure units are following the army's fitness policy."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5...emo-claims.html
The fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan is being hampered by fat soldiers who are not fit enough to fight, a leaked memo has disclosed.
By Duncan Gardham
Published: 4:28PM BST 02 Aug 2009
According to Major Brian Dupree, the British Army is in danger of losing its "warrior ethos" as soldiers skip physical training sessions and obesity in the forces increases.
Major Dupree, of the Physical Training Corps, said the increase in soldiers who are "unfit to deploy" is linked to an "indifferent" attitude to physical fitness.
Related Articles
*
Tories: 'strong case' for more Afghanistan troops
He warned that "operational effectiveness" is being undermined and soldiers' lives could be at risk because some are soldiers are unable to cope with the conditions in Afghanistan.
In the memo, dated July 10, Major Dupree said: "The numbers of personnel unable to deploy and concerns about obesity throughout the army are clearly linked to current attitudes towards physical training."
He says that even the minimum two to three hours of physical fitness a week are being ignored as the number of soldiers classified as Personnel Unfit to Deploy (PUD) has risen to 3,860 with a further 8,190 regarded as being of "limited deployability" for medical reasons.
"The current army fitness policy states that to be fit to fight requires a minimum of two to three hours of physical activity per week. It is clear that even this most basic policy is not being implemented," Major Dupree said.
"To cope with the demands of hybrid operations in Afghanistan and future conflicts the army needs personnel with that battle-winning edge that sustains them through adversity. It is clear this message has been diluted recently and this attitude must change.
"The increasing PUD list and concerns over obesity in the services are clearly linked to this indifferent attitude."
He concludes that the army has "not consistently maintained our standards of physical fitness" and needs to "reinvigorate a warrior ethos and a culture of being fit".
The report states: "The demands on time, which are acknowledged, are such that physical training has been regarded as something that can be cut from busy schedules. This approach cannot continue. Strong leadership is expected in this area."
Three years ago, the army relaxed its rules to allow the recruitment of soldiers with a higher Body Mass Index (a calculation of their weight in comparison to their height) after research found that two thirds of British teenagers were too fat to meet fitness requirements. The army now accepts applicants with a BMI of 32 - two points above the World Health Organisation's definition of obesity.
A board of inquiry in 2007 revealed how Private Jason Smith's died of heat stroke in Iraq after concerns about his BMI. The inquiry said he was "at the higher level of obese".
To counter the growing problem, the Army will introduce a "body composition measurement" in October to weed out overweight troops, alongside a minimum of three physical training sessions a week.
The army's Basic Fitness Test requires soldiers to complete a one and a half mile run in under 10mins and 30secs, rising with age, while the Combat Fitness Test requires troops to complete an 8 mile run with 20kg (44lb) of kit in under two hours along with 44 press ups and 50 sit ups in two minutes each.
Patrick Mercer MP, a former colonel in the army and former head of strategy at the Army Training and Recruiting Agency, called the lack of personal fitness "disgraceful" and added: "The army is desperately undermanned anyway and for obesity to be a problem is extraordinary."
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Following a review of recent evidence, direction has been given to the chain of command to take action to ensure units are following the army's fitness policy."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5...emo-claims.html
