Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 4/8/2009

Question
i want to join the air force but don't know if they will take me i am 5'10 and 250 pounds but i can do any pt they could throw at me is there any type of waiver you can get for max weight possible fitness assessment just the stalky type body i work out everyday

Answer
Nelson,
The only waivers given to weight standards are to bodybuilders whose muscle density causes them to exceed the standards.

This is one regulation I hate.  I have fought the weight battle my entire career.  I'm very tall and muscular and had to go through the hassle of obtaining a waiver from a doctor every year.  Usually they send me to a doctor whose thighs are smaller than my biceps and he can't understand why I'm 7 pounds over "standard."

One of the hardest things I've ever had to do as a commander is to discharge a person from the Air Force because they're overweight (according to the standards.)  Does being a pound overweight suddenly make you stupid or unable to do your job?  The day I retire I'm going to tell the military where they can stick their standards.

The Coast Guard is the most lenient of all the Services, still they say a man your height should weigh a maximum of 225.  The Army is next at 199, the Navy & Marines say 192 and the AF says 191.

So I'm sorry to say you won't get in at your current weight.
Thank you for wanting to serve your country in uniform.
Good luck,
Colonel H