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Recruit Drops and Gives the Army 100 ... Pounds

263-pound woman lost weight to enlist

By Ambreen Ali,  Newser User

Posted Sep 30, 2008 5:15 PM CDT

(Newser) – A Texas woman shed 113 pounds to join the Army, saying she was startled into action after being told she was too heavy to qualify. “I’ll never see her again,” a recruiter says he thought on meeting 263-pound Ashley Barrett-Carter, the Dallas Morning News reports. Now in basic training, the 21-year-old says of the weighty accomplishment: “It's given me the courage to follow through.”

Before future soldier Tyka Petty, right, leaves for basic training she meets with a recruiter.
Before future soldier Tyka Petty, right, leaves for basic training she meets with a recruiter.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
 Andrew Holland takes a phone call at a North Carolina US Army Recruiting Station.
Andrew Holland takes a phone call at a North Carolina US Army Recruiting Station.   (AP Photo/Jason E. Miczek)
Ashley Barrett-Carter says she was startled by being too overweight to enlist in the US Army.
Ashley Barrett-Carter says she was startled by being too overweight to enlist in the US Army.   (AP Photo)
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