The Standards for Marines

A member of the United States Marine Corps isn't just held to the organization's values of honor, courage and commitment. A U.S. Marine is also held to certain fitness, weight and grooming standards that are both health and performance based.

Fitness

• The Marine Corps states that every marine must be physically fit, regardless of age, grade or duty assignment. Males taking the physical fitness test, or PFT, must perform a dead-hang, pull-ups, abdominal crunches and a three-mile run. Females must complete the flexed-arm hang, abdominal crunches and a three-mile run.

Weight

• The United States Marine Corps runs a body composition program in which body weight is compared to the Marine Corps weight allowance chart. According to Stew Smith, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former Navy SEAL, the body fat standards for Marines are not to exceed 18 percent for males and 26 percent for females.

Age

• Only men and women between the ages of 17 and 29 who are working toward or have earned a high school diploma may qualify to enlist for the Marines.

Grooming

• Marines are held to the highest of grooming standards, including proper wear of the uniform and hair. For men, hair may not be over 3 inches in length fully extended on the upper portion of the head. For females, hair may not fall below the collar's lower edge unless it is fastened or pinned. Uniforms must also be kept in neat and serviceable condition.

Conduct

• The Marine Corps standards of conduct come from the Department of Defense (DoD). All Marines are expected to adhere to the highest moral standards and to follow the ethics counselor fundamentals revised in 2007.