FORT JACKSON, South Carolina — Pvt. David Dean weighed 320 lbs. when he went to visit a National Guard recruiter. A West Virginia plumber by trade, he wanted to prove to himself that he could serve, and he’d always wanted to put on the uniform.
“I could never get in because I was overweight,” Dean said.
He visited the recruiter to see just how much he needed to shave off to be eligible to serve and the kind of workouts the Army demands.
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To his surprise, the recruiter was able to get him into the ranks, but with a catch. Dean would have to go to the Army’s new Future Soldier Preparatory Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. There, new recruits have 90 days to lose enough weight to meet the Army standard and be shipped off to basic…
