Something that is taken seriously in the military now is the fitness of its members. So to ensure that members are fit a Fitness Enhancement Program, FEP, has been enacted. It began in boot camp with the measuring of every ones body fat. Height, weight, neck, and waist measurements are all fed into a formula and your body fat percentage is calculated. Those over a certain percentage were then placed into what some sailors call the, “Chub Club.”

Chub club members are required to take part in mandatory PT that is supervised and recorded. The goal is to get all sailors fit and healthy. Besides the Chub Club all members are required to take a PT test. Each sailor does sit ups, push ups, and a run. All events are timed and the results are then given points and your total is figured. If your total is below a certain number or you fail to reach the minimum in any one portion of the PT test, you fail. Failing results with you ending up in the Chub Club.

Earning a perfect 100 at one time gave the sailor an extra point toward advancement. This point was very important. During my advancement period one sailor missed being promoted by .17 points. He did not get 100 percent on his PT tests.

During the annual evaluation cycle every sailor has their body fat percentage figured into their eval. Being overweight or over percentage can cause a sailor to miss obtaining that 4.0 eval they wish to receive. This can then cause them to fail to make the advancement board when they are up for E7. Being over weight can also affect an officers fitness report.

Healthy fit sailors are less likely to be hurt on the job and more likely able to do their job. At times when the situation dictates a sailor will be deprived of sleep and possible proper nutrition. A fit sailor can handle these times much better than an out of shape sailor.