BOB KRUMM: War is a Young Man’s Game. “The typical non-combat, non-accident death was a stroke, heart attack, or suicide. Often, the victims were majors, lieutenant colonels, master sergeants, or sergeants major in their 40s or 50s, or they were contractors recently retired at those ranks and in that age group. They were usually male, which was not disproportionate to the deployed population, but their senior rank and age was very disproportionate to the population of mostly younger military members in Iraq. There was something else in common about those non-combat deaths: the victims were often overweight and out of shape. . . . Not long after my second deployment to Iraq, I was a battalion commander in the U.S. Army Reserve. My unit had a high percentage of people who were unqualified to deploy without a waiver. Among the largest causes was the number of Soldiers who failed the Army’s Physical Fitness Test.”

Pete Hegseth is trying to do something about that last.