“The prohibition of consideration of the members’ good military character or service record moves the ‘zero-tolerance’ culture forward, omitting opportunities for the ‘good dude’ defense,” said military personnel expert Kate Kuzminski.
Despite no public proof that Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith ever uttered such an edict, "lower your standards" has become an online rallying cry in recent weeks for those disillusioned with Navy life.
DoD instruction 1308.03 removed much of the previous version's restrictive language, freeing branches to choose their own body fat testing methods, among other updates.
Sharene Brown, the wife of Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown Jr., announced a new “Five & Thrive” initiative she hopes will keep the spotlight on quality of life issues.