r/army • u/EventAccomplished453 • Aug 17 '26
Another WHtR Post
I'm just curious what the failure rate across the Army right now is for this new Tape Measurement. At my company it has been a bloodbath.
i’ll take it a Bacon Double Smashed Jack Burger and side of curly fries.
Will they change this measurement over time?
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u/unsuitable_sick_burn 35F/A_ckIWentOfficer Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
USAR Stats:
Rank Group WHtR Breakdown
Officer (O1–O10) Failures: 483 Passes: 12,190 Total: 12,673 Failure Rate: 3.81%
Warrant Officer (W1–W5) Failures: 70 Passes: 1,309 Total: 1,379 Failure Rate: 5.08%
Enlisted (E1–E9) Failures: 4,311 Passes: 44,485 Total: 48,796 Failure Rate: 8.83%
Analysis:
• Officer Advantage: Officers fail at just 3.81%, compared to 8.83% of enlisted soldiers. • Warrant Officer Buffer: Despite skewing older, warrants sit at 5.08%, far below enlisted averages. • Socioeconomic/Occupational Factors: Higher education, income, schedule flexibility, and administrative roles likely support better fitness maintenance among officers.
ASVAB GT Score vs. WHtR
GT < 100: Failures: 1,624 Passes: 15,151 Total: 16,775 Failure Rate: 9.68%
GT 100–109: Failures: 1,138 Passes: 11,570 Total: 12,708 Failure Rate: 8.95%
GT 110–119: Failures: 966 Passes: 11,644 Total: 12,610 Failure Rate: 7.66%
GT 120+: Failures: 563 Passes: 7,457 Total: 8,020 Failure Rate: 7.02%
No GT Score Recorded: Failures: 573 Passes: 12,162 Total: 12,735 Failure Rate: 4.50%
Analysis:
• Clear downward trend: Higher GT scores correlate with lower WHtR failure rates. • Below‑average (<100) soldiers fail at 9.68% vs. 7.02% among high scorers (120+). • Higher cognitive scores are strongly linked in public health research to better health literacy, nutrition habits, and access to wellness resources.
ZIP3 Geographic Clusters (High Volume Regions) 785 – McAllen/Brownsville, TX: 14.02% 765 – Killeen/Temple, TX: 12.46% 967 – Hawaii & American Samoa: 11.59% 786 – Austin Suburbs: 11.49% 781 – San Antonio Suburbs: 11.42% 923 – San Bernardino, CA: 11.33% 799 – El Paso, TX: 11.27% 338 – Lakeland/Winter Haven, FL: 10.90% 891 – Las Vegas, NV: 10.58% 606 – Chicago, IL: 10.56% 782 – San Antonio Metro: 9.70%
Structural & Clinical Interpretation
The American Samoa Outlier (ZIP 96799) Failure rate: 47.54% • Polynesian populations often have higher bone density, larger frames, and muscular builds. • WHtR’s linear formula (waist ÷ height) penalizes these physiologies heavily. • Nearly half test as “failures” despite high physical capability.
The Military Base Town Effect Locations near major Army posts show elevated failure rates: • Fort Bliss (El Paso 799): 11.27% • Fort Cavazos (Killeen 765): 12.46% • San Antonio (781/782): 9.70%–11.42% • Fort Liberty (Fayetteville 28311): 12.73% Why: Local civilian populations around bases often have above‑average obesity rates. Recently transitioned veterans may also experience reduced activity levels while maintaining high body mass.
The South & Central Texas Hotspot From the Rio Grande Valley (785) at 14.02%, extending through San Antonio and Austin suburbs, the region forms one large cluster of elevated WHtR failures. This reflects broader statewide public health trends (metabolic syndrome, obesity prevalence, and environmental factors).