Dexter Filkins

So, you know, you do your math problems and your reading comprehension over and over and over, and then you take the aptitude test. And if you pass, you can get in. But they're trying to hold the standards where they are. I think what's remarkable is that there are so many people out there that can't meet these minimum standards.

Yeah, she was remarkable. Her name was Savannah Thorne. I think she's 20 years old. And she's from a little town in... in Georgia, and I met her in the weight loss camp. And she was great. She was smart. She was curious. She was super energetic. And she kind of told me her story. And I think she said she came from this pretty broken family. I think her father was in prison.

Yeah, she was remarkable. Her name was Savannah Thorne. I think she's 20 years old. And she's from a little town in... in Georgia, and I met her in the weight loss camp. And she was great. She was smart. She was curious. She was super energetic. And she kind of told me her story. And I think she said she came from this pretty broken family. I think her father was in prison.

Yeah, she was remarkable. Her name was Savannah Thorne. I think she's 20 years old. And she's from a little town in... in Georgia, and I met her in the weight loss camp. And she was great. She was smart. She was curious. She was super energetic. And she kind of told me her story. And I think she said she came from this pretty broken family. I think her father was in prison.

Her mom had had a bunch of drug problems. She'd been raised by her grandparents. She went to a recruiting station at age 19, weighing 305 pounds. And she said at one point, I spent most of my childhood watching, playing Call of Duty and eating fast food. And the recruiter looked at her and said, thinking he'd never see her again, lose 100 pounds and I'll talk to you.

Her mom had had a bunch of drug problems. She'd been raised by her grandparents. She went to a recruiting station at age 19, weighing 305 pounds. And she said at one point, I spent most of my childhood watching, playing Call of Duty and eating fast food. And the recruiter looked at her and said, thinking he'd never see her again, lose 100 pounds and I'll talk to you.

Her mom had had a bunch of drug problems. She'd been raised by her grandparents. She went to a recruiting station at age 19, weighing 305 pounds. And she said at one point, I spent most of my childhood watching, playing Call of Duty and eating fast food. And the recruiter looked at her and said, thinking he'd never see her again, lose 100 pounds and I'll talk to you.

So she went out and lost 100 pounds. And so she came back to the recruiting station a year later, weighing 200 pounds. And they took her into the course at Fort Jackson to get down to, I think she had to get down to like 105. 65 or something like 165 pounds or something like that. So they took the last 35 pounds off of her.

So she went out and lost 100 pounds. And so she came back to the recruiting station a year later, weighing 200 pounds. And they took her into the course at Fort Jackson to get down to, I think she had to get down to like 105. 65 or something like 165 pounds or something like that. So they took the last 35 pounds off of her.

So she went out and lost 100 pounds. And so she came back to the recruiting station a year later, weighing 200 pounds. And they took her into the course at Fort Jackson to get down to, I think she had to get down to like 105. 65 or something like 165 pounds or something like that. So they took the last 35 pounds off of her.

And so when I saw her, she was like, she said, I have three more days and I got one more pound to lose. And if I don't lose that one more pound, I'm out. They're going to send me home, but I'm going to make it. And she did. She made it. And she's in boot camp right now.

And so when I saw her, she was like, she said, I have three more days and I got one more pound to lose. And if I don't lose that one more pound, I'm out. They're going to send me home, but I'm going to make it. And she did. She made it. And she's in boot camp right now.

And so when I saw her, she was like, she said, I have three more days and I got one more pound to lose. And if I don't lose that one more pound, I'm out. They're going to send me home, but I'm going to make it. And she did. She made it. And she's in boot camp right now.

So far, I think the program's working. It's definitely working in terms of numbers. 25% of the Army's recruits go through either the weight loss clinic or the aptitude course. This year, you know, the year we're in right now, they're projecting it's going to be 30%. Do they keep the weight off? I think they have to.

So far, I think the program's working. It's definitely working in terms of numbers. 25% of the Army's recruits go through either the weight loss clinic or the aptitude course. This year, you know, the year we're in right now, they're projecting it's going to be 30%. Do they keep the weight off? I think they have to.

So far, I think the program's working. It's definitely working in terms of numbers. 25% of the Army's recruits go through either the weight loss clinic or the aptitude course. This year, you know, the year we're in right now, they're projecting it's going to be 30%. Do they keep the weight off? I think they have to.

You know, unless the standards get relaxed, they have to pass a physical test and a weight test twice a year. Now, like the Navy, again, the Navy's really suffering. The Navy's kind of, they've kind of played around with that standard. As well, you know, they've kind of like recently they wiped the slate clean and said anybody who failed to make weight, you know, we're going to forget about that.

You know, unless the standards get relaxed, they have to pass a physical test and a weight test twice a year. Now, like the Navy, again, the Navy's really suffering. The Navy's kind of, they've kind of played around with that standard. As well, you know, they've kind of like recently they wiped the slate clean and said anybody who failed to make weight, you know, we're going to forget about that.

You know, unless the standards get relaxed, they have to pass a physical test and a weight test twice a year. Now, like the Navy, again, the Navy's really suffering. The Navy's kind of, they've kind of played around with that standard. As well, you know, they've kind of like recently they wiped the slate clean and said anybody who failed to make weight, you know, we're going to forget about that.

And so if you typically if you fail to make weight two times in a row, you're out. And so at least on paper so far, it's working. Like the kids who have lost the weight and passed the tests, the aptitude tests, they're, you know, they're hanging in there.