Karyna Douglass, new recruit
Stuart sends us a link to the story of Karyna Douglass who wanted to join the Army, but she was overweight, according to the Army, so she started on a new mission – be Army Strong;
“My physical activity consisted of me walking to the store to get candy,” Douglass said. So she decided to get serious.
She started working out with a Beaverton Sergeant. Every day, she worked out two or three times and ate the right foods.
After spending so much time with soldiers, the 23-year-old decided the army was for her.
Douglass said, “I fell in love with their world. I fell in love with the bonds that I created with these people. I fell in love for what they stand for.”
She’ll probably make a good soldier, too, because she had to earn her place among them. She lost 110 pounds over 15 months and the article says that she’ll be enlisting in a week or so. Good luck, Karyna.
Category: Real Soldiers
WOW! Gotta respect that! Congrats to her and I hope she has an excellent Army career!
Good for her!
My young brother, a good family man, similarly was turned away from enlistment two years after I did because of weight issues. It’s probably his biggest regret in life, but this woman demonstrates that one can avoid self-recrimination with a display of the kind of discipline and fortitude that soldiers should have.
And she didn’t even have to go on that Biggest Loser show.
Good for her. She’s already outdone herself.
Good on ya and good luck!!!
Good for her!! Hope she is able to achieve her dreams.
Congratulations Karyn on your accomplishment and welcome to the Army. I hope you serve well. With the enthusiasm and attitude you have already displayed. Good luck Karyn!
I have known several fatties throughout my career that lost massive amounts of weight to get in and remain in.
One guy I remember from the Bad Old Day of the Nasty Guard was a 300+ lb. E-6 PSG that, when faced with career halt, got down to 200 lbs. and eventually made E-8.
It refutes the “fat acceptance” victim grievance mongering crap we have seen recently crop up. Good for her. It shows that the whines from the fatties are just sour grapes from no self control.
Way to set the standard, girl.
Good job!
One of my high school friends recently completed a similar transformation. At her wedding 5 years ago she was in excess of 300 pounds. She regularly saw her doctor, started eating right, and worked out an hour a day. In two years she was down to her high school weight of around 130. Her doctor even told her to put 10 pounds back on. It’s been a year and she’s maintained that lifestyle. With her permission I printed out her before and after pics with that brief description and posted it in the hallway of the headquarters reminding the troops that they have no excuse.
Another friend with identical weight issues started the same regimen. After 6 months she’s dropped 60 pounds. She lost the first 10 in the first month just by eliminating soda from her diet. Both of these women have full time jobs and families.
I love reading stories about people getting healthy, and doubly so when they’re doing it to do something like join the military. I want troops who are this motivated before they even walk through the door.
Kudos to her, and I’m betting she does a great job!
Think she can make it through her first enlistment without being brutally raped?
Well done, and the best of luck, Karyna!
Here’s hoping that she does not have the problem that so many I have known over the years have had in keeping the weight off. It was a life long struggle for several. But worth it to them and we who knew them.
You go, girl!
@11 probably about the same odds as a female at UC Berkely, where instances of rape have doubled in the past year.
Back to the original thread which the fucking idiot Wray tried to hijack. Good for this young lady. My favorite memories as a DI were seeing the transformation of overweight recruits into fit confident young men.
@14 I’ve always been slender, but a number of my mates in Basic came in as blimps. The almost 250 pound japanese fella in the bunk next to mine lost 6 inches off his waist by the time we left. I loved seeing the smile on his face when they let him exchange his uniforms.
Outstanding,and that wray dick is a dick.Go back to your code pinkers you cunt.
I had to drop 50 pounds to enlist, and at 35, that was non-trivial, but entirely doable. Just took hard work and discipline, just like anything else in life…
Congrats to Karyna!
Long long time ago at Leonard Wood basic my friend who came with me went in at around 265. There was no rides to the ranges and we took all our stuff everywhere. We also pulled him, drug him, and carried him (as some others). If I remember right he came out at 178.
Did something wrong, well try again. I went in to basic at Leonard Wood with a friend a long time ago. He went in at 265. We double timed everywhere with all our stuff. We pulled him, drug him, and carried him (and others, no one was left behind) and if I remember correctly he came out at 178+/-. I admire Karyna as much or more for doing it on her own initiative. Good luck troopie.
Gosh, wray, you blueballed codpiece clamp, I made it through TWO – count ’em, TWO – enlistments without getting brutally raped.
And that was when there was a WHOLE LOT LESS attention to stopping sexual harrassment on the job — you know, stuff like grab-ass, bra snapping from behind – that sort of thing.
The assumption that women are automatically going to be sexually assaulted right off the starting block is false. Go crawl back into your hole in the swamp, and don’t let the bullfrogs see you. They like eating bugs.
Congratulations on no longer being a fat and lazy slob. Let’s give her a standing O for finally, at age 20 something, taking care of herself.
@21-be a little nicer, 2/17th. This lady’s got real dedication to pull this off. Losing that much weight if you don’t have an eighteen or nineteen year old’s metabolism is hard work, and if she can pull it off, more power to her. That plus joining the army. Believe me, coming out of the generation that I do, I’ve seen a TON of obese kids, and almost uniformly, they’ll start spouting off about how the big food corporations are screwing over their health and their horrific thyroid hormonal problems practically as they’re extending their hands. They very rarely take responsibility for their lifestyle or admit they have a problem. And of course, they’ll run to the teacher to cry bully if anyone even talks about something that involves physical fitness in front of them, like sports (no shit, I’ve seen that happen before). That isn’t to excuse or minimize the problem of bullying, but still. It’s a rare obese person who will admit they have a problem and go through the fire to try to fix it like Ms. Douglass has. I offer her my congrats and best wishes.
Kudos to her! I remember one fellow I went through Boot Camp & AIT with who lost 85 pounds, his Mom walked right past him on Graduation Day!
Uh. You didn’t just do that, did you HS Sophomore? There seem to be more than a few here willing to tolerate you and your attitude, for a variety of reasons, and that is fine with me. But if you think you can insult someone here who has earned a lot of respect, again, for a variety of reasons, you have gone too far.
You are out of line, son. Waaaaaay out of line with your comment in #22 to 2/17 Air Cav. Yes, you are entitled to your opinion. Certainly, you are even welcome to express a negative opinion about anything that any of us might post. But, you might want to reconsider how you pose those negative comments. That was definitely not the correct way to do it.
Congratulations to the young lady and hopes for a bright and shiny future.
Also a hearty Semper Fi to the Beaverton Sgt. that provided the leadership. For some it’s just a slogan, for others a way of life, and it ain’t branch specific.
@11
I made it five years as a Marine, and magically never was raped. This is true in spite of being deployed twice, frequently working nights, and being the only woman in my platoon for most of my enlistment.
There were two rape accusations during my enlistment, and both were made by individuals whose only accomplishments were being terrible Marines and avid liars.
I felt safer with my guys than I do on my college campus, so stop spewing BS about things you don’t know anything about.
@24-Specifically what do you find so objectionable in what I said? Yes, I understood that my response would probably not be popular. Still, though-she seems like a nice lady with a lot of dedication and a desire to serve her country, and I think congratulations are in order instead of calling her “a fat and lazy slob.” Just my take.
Gotta agree with #27 on this one…
But I wonder how many overweight retirees I’ll see at the Commissary this weekend. I won’t call them fat lazy slobs.
That is all.
This is probably just another one of those generational things, but I object to a young upstart “ordering” anyone to do anything. Anyone young enough to be my grand or great grand child really shouldn’t tell me or my peers how to behave. Register an opinion about something – sure, fair enough. But telling one of us how to act? Nope.
Besides all that, the idea that a civilian should tell an older Army combat vet how to talk to a new Army recruit is ridiculous. I wouldn’t do that, and I am about the same age as 2/17 AC, and have more military service than he does, just not in the Army.
@29-I did not “order” anyone to do anything. I recognize that my life experience is pretty limited compared to others on this blog, but I’ve seen enough fat lazy slobs and people who just generally won’t put any effort into life to know the type. I do not feel that this lady is one of those. That’s my point.
You asked for an explanation, and you got it. You have not addressed my comments except to deny having done what is obvious in the first sentence of the post in question.
Whatever.
Holy Crap … I just did some quick math. If she does not stop what she is doing. She will only weigh about 30 pounds before she get to her first duty station.
Good for her! Go Army!
BREAK:
OWB. I am with you on this. Some posts I read, some I ignore and some I am drawn to because of the shear asshattery displayed. It seems in this case HS Softmore continues to project his youth and experience wildly with no caution or regulation.
Kind pause has been given, yet no moderation or consideration has been offered to knowing and understanding the company.
It is my opinion that no matter what is said here, the subject of my scorn will continue to project himself as all knowing and smarter than us who have bellied up to this bar.
@32-I find your assertions that I am somehow projecting myself as being better than all of you to be mostly groundless and without value. When you objected to my comments about Bruce Mims the phony SEAL principal (https://www.google.com/search?q=bruce+mims+this+aint+hell&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari) at #31 on that thread (and virtually everyone who commented agreed that your attack was way over the top based on anything I actually said), I understood why my “look it up if you don’t know what it is” comment could be construed as being patronizing/and or arrogant, and subsequently apologized and clarified what I meant. You also said in #38 of that thread that you found all my posts to be “snarky and over the top” considering the “company I keep”, but in #41, you say to carry on and that you enjoy 99.99% of my material. Care to explain how this works? Because you haven’t. At #44 of the aforementioned other article, you’ll notice that I asked you if you could take the time to link me some of my more offensive posts and maybe describe why they tick you off so much. I also acknowledged that you could be right, as a perspective from another person on your behavior. You did not do this. You also mention in that article that your response to me (which looked as close as yelling as anyone can get online to me) was satirical, and that when that element was considered, it was alright. Personally, I think you added that in later when you saw that the tone from the other experienced posters was overwhelmingly that your response was over the top. But let’s assume that’s true (and if it is, no one got the joke except you; not even Hondo or any of the other experienced posters). You appear to be genuinely angry in your comment @32. So in summary: given the variety in your tones, stated intentions, and comments on my material, I have the idea that you are angry and/or somehow displeased with me, but I have no idea what I am doing on a regular basis that pisses you… Read more »
Cont.—I also love how you threatened to “have my ass thrown out of here” in the Bruce Mims article (#31), the very first warning you ever give me that I am apparently being an arrogant upstart jackass. I interpret that as you stating that you will have my ass blocked from commenting here again by using your influence as a longstanding member if I don’t comment in a way that pleases you. That’s not criticizing, advising, or showing patience and forbearance like you say you have; it’s bullying. I’m not too scared, though, because you and I both know damn well that I haven’t violated a single one of Jonn, COB6, or TSOs’ rules for commenting on TAH. I have used no offensive terms about gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, etc. to anyone in particular, threatened anyone, spammed, or posted any personal information. Just being a douchebag (and I still don’t say I am) is not a crime punishable by banishment from TAH; why do you think Snake Eyes Jordan, Dullass Whipitnflogit, Gunny Driveway, and Danny Dumbaski are allowed to comment here? Of course, the whole point is pretty much moot since only Jonn has the power to block people from commenting.
HS Sophomore,
I can understand OWB up to a point on this. Not saying I agree with him, just saying I can see it from his side. From his point of view you are just some young blog hopper who comments with little or no regard as to how common phrases you use can be construed as insulting, or derogatory when directed at elders.
From what I’ve read (during my time as a lurker) your ability to communicate complete and coherent thoughts by way of the English language is exceedingly better than what I have seen from some of my own peers. IMO your comments are a far cry from being worthy of such raised ire, and your continued presence here shows an appreciation for people like OWB and the other regulars that seems to be being overlooked by some. I mean seriously how many people from HS Sophomore’s peer group give half a sh!t about what this blog is about. (Gaming and paintball don’t count.)
My advice on this is simple be less directive when posting and you’ll come across as less abrasive and if a situations like this arises again take the high road and try to handle this in a less public/rambling way.
I think I will go back to just reading and not commenting.
Good for her. Now pray she doesn’t get pregnant right after AIT.
Oh, gee, HSSoph, take a chill pill and get your shorts out of their bunchup.
You got a bit ahead of yourself in assuming that 2/17AirCav was being rude to Karyna, when in fact, he was simply being himself and doing what he always does – using blunt language.
‘Fat, lazy slob’ is a sidebar to the rest of what he said, which was to compliment her, in his own rough way, for doing an outstanding job of meeting her goal. Your assumption that he was insulting her was simply a mistake on your part because you did not read for context.
You’re a bright kid. You’ve overcome some serious obstacles yourself. Good for you.
But don’t assume that someone like AirCav is denigrating what Karyna did just because he used what you think is rough language.
He’s been through more than you can imagine, and while he may come off as a blunt instrument, he’s a good guy. He was NOT insulting her.
Chill out and drop your hackles, kiddo.
@ HS Soffmore.
As said in the later part of a trial, after all witnesses have testifies, all evidence is revealed and there is nothing further to argue, “Your Honor, we rest our case” is exclaimed by me.
It was a short trial and your owns words above confirmed my assertations.
@38—MCPO, I am just curious as to why you are so ANGRY with me. Your level of anger continually changes almost bipolarically, and you have not answered my queries as to specifically WHAT I am doing wrong. You say I am snarky, arrogant, and display incredible levels of asshattery. You say this applies to all my posts. But then you say to carry on and that you enjoy 99.99% of my material. You have threatened to have me blocked from commenting. AND I HAVE NO IDEAD EXACTLY WHY BECAUSE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED REASONS. Could you PLEASE just give me three examples of specific posts I have made that have resulted in your view on me and my presence on TAH and explain why. I have repeatedly stated that I would like to hear them, as you could even be right. The friends I value most are the ones who tell me what I need to hear as opposed to what I want to hear. Sometimes, a third party’s perspective on a person’s behavior can be very valuable. But please look at it from my perspective. I don’t know you personally. I don’t know your pattern of behavior. I don’t know your personal likes and dislikes. I don’t know how you judge other people. You seem very angry, but I have no way of knowing exactly WHY unless you SAY so for these reasons. Please do this. Thanks.
Dear HS Sophomore, Here is a third-party perspective then. The first thing to do when you find yourself in a hole you don’t want to be in is: Stop digging! You are doing the opposite. OWB explained why you annoyed him in the second paragraph of #24. You seemed not to understand and asked for clarification. It’s unfortunate you didn’t get it, but asking for clarification was smart. OWB was kind enough to elaborate (#29); incidentally, this was actually a kind of backhand compliment in that he was treating you as worth the while, as in “Perhaps HS Soph can learn.” Unfortunately you still seemed not to understand and kind of got defensive instead of stopping to reflect. This is where things started to go off the rails. MCPO was basically giving you a clue in #32 (the Car Talk guys on NPR would call it a “dopeslap to the back of the head”) but instead you started digging deeper. Here’s my take on this (not presuming to speak for the regulars, and especially not for OWB or MCPO). Most of the commentors are veterans, which apparently you are not (and neither am I, for that matter). Think of this site as their clubhouse; they’ve paid their dues to hang out here, you (and I) haven’t, and are here on sufferance. You seem reasonably intelligent, are well-spoken (written) and seem like a decent, earnest person, but you are not one of them. You did not serve and are also younger (apparently) than 2/17 Air Cav, OWB and MCPO. They are your seniors which in and of itself deserves some deference (IMO), and again, you are not a veteran. To spell it out in painful detail, what you said: “@21-be a little nicer, 2/17th” came across as an order. You were telling your senior what to do. At best you were presuming that the two of you are equals. You two are equal before the law, you may be better at X, Y or Z in the rest of the world, but in this place, you are the junior (and, again,… Read more »
Well look at that. I took a rocket surgen or a brain scientologist (what ever he said above) to splain this whole thing for everyone to understand.
Thanks Doc!