WASHINGTON \u2014 After a months-long research study, the Army will keep its current height and weight screening tables, the service\u2019s top noncommissioned officer announced at the Association of the U.S. Army conference Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The branch\u2019s Center for Initial Military Training joined forces with medical research experts last year<\/a> to evaluate whether the Army\u2019s body composition policies should be changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, the study found that the service\u2019s current methods for weight screening and measuring body fat are \u201cpretty accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe data shows that the height and weight tables are correct,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the service has identified areas where policy tweaks could help improve the accuracy of the tape test, which habitually underestimates the body fat of most troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Army officials are working to evaluate whether a number of proposed tweaks to body fat measurement are supported in the study\u2019s data \u2014 a process they\u2019re approaching carefully after a data validity issue<\/a> contributed to the Army Combat Fitness Test\u2019s bumpy rollout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Grinston offered a preview of one preliminary change, though it won\u2019t be official policy until researchers approve.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat could change?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n