Marines are renown for their tenacity, bravery, and fitness. Maintaining current Marine Corps height and weight standards plays a big part in that reputation.
One of the first things you learn along your path to becoming a Marine is classic saying, “every Marine a rifleman.” While there’s been some question in recent years about whether “rifleman” is wrong term to use for the type of general purpose warfighter it takes to win 21st century battles, the sentiment behind the saying rings as true today as ever. In the Marine Corps, it doesn’t matter if you’re a supply clerk or an infantry officer — Marines are trained, fit, and ready for a fight. “Every Marine a rifleman” isn’t an empty platitude–it’s a promise to America’s enemies.
Marines rifle qualifications play an important part in ensuring U.S. Marines are ready for the fight, but at the individual level, few things can affect your ability to perform under duress quite like physical fitness. A Marine that’s in good physical shape can push harder, fight longer, and stave off the sort of exhaustion that can compromise decision making. An unfit Marine, on the other hand, doesn’t just negatively affect themselves, they can hinder the performance of an entire unit.
That’s why the Marine Corps places a significant emphasis not only on passing fitness tests, but also on ensuring Marines fall within established height and weight standards.
Marine Corps Height and Weight Standards
The following chart can be used to assess whether you’re within Marine Corps height and weight standards.
To find the minimum and maximum acceptable weight for your height, simply find your height in inches in the left hand column. Then follow that row across to see the minimum acceptable weight for that height, as well as the male and female maximum weights permitted.
Remember to use an accurate scale when assessing whether or not you fall within Marine height and weight standards.
