Pentagon Imposes 0.55 Waist Rule on 1,200 Troops for White House UFC Event
Updated
Updated · Military Times · Jun 4
Pentagon Imposes 0.55 Waist Rule on 1,200 Troops for White House UFC Event
3 articles · Updated · Military Times · Jun 4
Summary
About 1,200 active-duty troops tapped for the June 14 White House UFC card must meet a waist-to-height ratio of 0.55 or less and pass service fitness standards, according to an authenticated Pentagon document.
The memo labels the South Lawn fights a “high visibility” event and tells commanders to recruit volunteers who are genuine UFC fans, with preference for junior enlisted personnel and junior officers.
Troops selected from outside the Washington region are expected to cover their own travel costs, even though the Pentagon specifically asked commands to look beyond the national capital area.
The requirement follows the military’s recent shift to waist-to-height screening as its main body-fat measure; the Marine Corps uses a stricter 0.52 threshold, below average U.S. adult ratios cited in the report.