If you are looking for the Army height and weight chart — the one with maximum weights listed by height, age and gender — it no longer applies. The Army scrapped it on 7 July 2026.
The tables are gone. The tape test is gone. In their place is one number that takes about ten seconds to work out.
The new standard, in one line
Your waist measurement divided by your height must be less than 0.55.
Both measured in inches. Waist is taken at the navel. That is the entire standard — no age brackets, no separate figures for men and women, no chart to look up.
The threshold is strict about precision: 0.549 passes, 0.550 does not.
Work out your own number
Multiply your height in inches by 0.55. That is your waist limit — you need to be under it.
5'2" (62 in) — waist under 34.1 in
5'4" (64 in) — waist under 35.2 in
5'6" (66 in) — waist under 36.3 in
5'8" (68 in) — waist under 37.4 in
5'10" (70 in) — waist under 38.5 in
6'0" (72 in) — waist under 39.6 in
6'2" (74 in) — waist under 40.7 in
6'4" (76 in) — waist under 41.8 in
Note what is missing from that list: your weight. Under the new standard the scale plays no part at all. A heavy, muscular soldier with a narrow waist passes. That was the main complaint about the old system, and it is the reason this one replaced it.
What changed, exactly
Army Directive 2026-13 was signed on 1 July 2026 by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and took effect on 7 July. It makes waist-to-height ratio the sole authorised standard under the Army Body Composition Program, across the Regular Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
Three things went away with it:
The AR 600-9 screening tables — the maximum-weight-by-height-and-age charts
The tape test — the neck and waist circumference calculation used to estimate body fat
Supplemental body fat assessments — no longer accepted to challenge a result
That last point matters. Under the old system a soldier who failed the weight table could pass on body fat. Now there is nothing to appeal to. The ratio is the standard, and it stands on its own.
One exemption also disappeared: soldiers scoring 465 or above on the fitness test used to skip body composition screening entirely. That no longer applies — everyone gets measured.
Key dates
7 July 2026 — policy took effect
5 October 2026 — every soldier must have been measured and recorded, a 90-day window
Twice a year — ongoing assessment frequency, with at least 7 days between a fitness test and a body composition assessment
What happens if you fail
Score 0.55 or above and you are retested the same day by a different team. Fail both and you are flagged and enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program — diet guidance, exercise programming, counselling, and a mandatory medical assessment to rule out an underlying cause.
The flag follows you to your next unit, so a transfer does not clear it.
On separation, there is a deliberate pause. The Department of the Army is running a 180-day assessment period to check the accuracy and fairness of the new measure, and no soldier will be separated for failing WHtR until that review is complete. Pregnant and postpartum soldiers keep their existing medical exemptions.
If you are trying to enlist rather than already serving
This is where most of the confusion sits, so it is worth being careful.
Directive 2026-13 governs soldiers already serving. Applicants are screened at MEPS under separate accession medical standards (DoDI 6130.03), which are not the same document and did not change on the same day.
What is clear for applicants:
Height limits apply. Under 58 inches or over 80 inches disqualifies women; under 60 inches or over 80 inches disqualifies men.
Weight-for-height is screened first, and applicants over the limit move to a body composition check rather than being turned away.
That check now works on the same waist-to-height basis — an applicant coming in under 0.55 can clear body composition screening without further body fat testing.
What is not clear is how uniformly the accession side has been updated, because the change is recent and MEPS procedure is administered separately. If you are close to the line, ask your recruiter what MEPS is applying this month. That is a genuinely better source than any article, including this one, while the policy is this new.
Why the Army made the change
Two reasons, and they pull in the same direction.
The old system had a well-known flaw: it penalised muscle. A soldier who trained hard could gain weight, exceed the table, get taped, and still come out badly — because neither a scale nor a tape estimate distinguishes muscle from fat well. Plenty of genuinely fit soldiers were flagged.
The second reason is simply that waist-to-height ratio is a better predictor of health risk than body mass measures, and it is far easier to administer consistently. One measurement, one division, no chart, no age adjustment, much less room for an assessor to get it wrong.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Army height and weight standards in 2026?
There are no weight standards any more. Since 7 July 2026 the Army uses waist-to-height ratio only — waist at the navel divided by height in inches, and the result must be below 0.55.
Is the Army tape test gone?
Yes. The circumference-based tape test and supplemental body fat assessments were rescinded and can no longer be used, including to challenge a WHtR result.
What waist size do I need at 5'10"?
Under 38.5 inches. Multiply your height in inches by 0.55 for your own limit.
Does the standard differ for men and women, or by age?
No. The 0.55 threshold is the same for everyone, with no gender or age adjustment. That is a significant change from the old tables.
What happens if I fail the waist-to-height standard?
You are retested the same day by a different team. Fail again and you are flagged and enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program with mandatory medical screening. No separations will occur until the Army completes its 180-day review.
Does this apply if I am trying to join?
The directive covers serving soldiers. Applicants are screened at MEPS under separate accession standards, where waist-to-height is now used for those who exceed weight-for-height screening. Check with your recruiter, as the accession side is still settling.
Can a good fitness test score exempt me?
Not any more. The exemption for soldiers scoring 465 or above was removed.
By when do soldiers have to be measured?
5 October 2026 — 90 days from the policy taking effect.
The bottom line
The chart you were looking for has been retired. Take your waist at the navel, divide by your height, and if the answer is under 0.55 you meet the Army's body composition standard. Your weight is no longer part of the calculation.
If you are considering enlisting, the standards are only one part of the decision — we covered the rest in the pros and cons of joining the military and compared the services in which military branch is easiest to join.