104th Fighter Wing implements waist-to-height screening ahead of deadline

More than 1,000 Airmen at the 104th Fighter Wing moved to meet a new Air Force body composition requirement during an extended drill Aug. 21-23 at Barnes Air National Guard Base, positioning the unit ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline for Guard and Reserve personnel.

Col. Michael Glass, commander of the 104th Fighter Wing, directed that waist-to-height ratio checks be completed on duty time for full-time Airmen and during the August drill for traditional Guardsmen, giving members time to finish the requirement without bumping up against the cutoff.

The waist-to-height ratio is now the Department of the Air Force’s official Body Composition Program metric. Introduced in 2023, it replaces the abdominal circumference measure dropped in 2020 and is calculated by dividing a certified waist measurement, in inches, by a member’s height, also in inches. The standard is part of the Physical Fitness Assessment and accounts for 20 percent of an Airman’s score.

Unit leaders framed the push as part of year-round readiness, not a last-minute box to check. “If you’re wearing the uniform, you should always be ready to meet the standard, not scrambling to prepare at the last minute,” Dowd said.

They also emphasized that support is available for anyone who needs it. “As leaders, we can’t lower the bar, but we aren’t going to let you clear it along, either,” Dowd said. “If you’re struggling, we’ll get you the resources and work through it.”

The shift in body composition standards aligns with broader updates to the Air Force fitness program, which added new options to the test, including a 2-mile run in place of the previous 1.5-mile distance. The goal, leaders say, is to drive a sustained focus on health, injury prevention and mission readiness throughout the year. “We need you healthy, uninjured and lethal in the fight,” Dowd said.