Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth orders a military-wide combat fitness standards review, requiring equal physical requirements for men and women in combat roles within 60 days.
Quick Takes
- Pentagon memo mandates gender-neutral physical standards for all combat arms positions across military branches.
- Military services have 60 days to propose changes and 30 days for an interim report.
- Nearly 4,800 women currently serve in Army combat roles opened to females in 2016.
- Combat roles already have stringent fitness standards, but the order aims to ensure no exceptions are made.
- Hegseth has previously expressed opposition to women serving in combat positions.
Pentagon Orders Equal Combat Standards
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a directive mandating uniform physical fitness standards for all military combat positions regardless of gender. The memo, released this week, requires each service branch to identify which jobs qualify as combat arms and establish physical requirements based solely on operational demands. This move represents a significant shift in Pentagon policy, potentially impacting thousands of female service members currently serving in infantry, armor, artillery, and special operations roles across the military. Military leaders now have 60 days to propose changes and 30 days to submit an interim report on their assessments.
The order builds upon a previous March 12 memo regarding military standards on physical fitness, body composition, and grooming. It requires the military services to categorize positions as either combat arms or non-combat roles, with specific standards for ground combat, special operations, and specialized operations. Combat jobs already have rigorous physical requirements that are supposed to be the same for all service members, regardless of age or gender, but Hegseth’s order aims to ensure these standards are being consistently applied with no exceptions.
Concerns About Combat Readiness
This review comes amid ongoing debate about women in combat roles, which were officially opened to female service members in 2016. Since then, approximately 4,800 women have joined Army infantry, armor, and artillery positions. Conservative groups have raised concerns that women might be subjected to lower physical fitness requirements than men in these roles, potentially compromising combat effectiveness. Hegseth’s directive appears designed to address these concerns by establishing “the highest and equal standards” for all troops, with gender-neutral requirements based on the demands of actual combat operations.
The military currently operates with a two-part system for fitness standards: routine annual physical tests and more rigorous standards for specific combat roles. The Army and Marine Corps have established specialized fitness requirements for combat and special operations positions. Hegseth’s memo emphasizes that special operations forces should continue to maintain higher fitness requirements, which are already in place. The implementation of any new standards is expected to occur over the next six months following the review period.
Secretary’s Past Comments Raise Questions
Hegseth’s past statements about women in combat roles have drawn attention to this policy change. Prior to his appointment as Defense Secretary, Hegseth explicitly opposed women serving in combat positions, stating in recorded comments: “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.” He has also suggested that female presence complicates combat situations. This background has led some observers to question whether the fitness standards review is aimed at maintaining military effectiveness or potentially reducing female participation in combat roles.
Women currently make up approximately 18% of the active-duty military force. Previous military leaders, including former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, have publicly defended the value and contributions of female combat troops. In a separate but related action, Hegseth has reportedly directed the removal of some historical accounts of women’s contributions to the military, citing new rules against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The outcome of this standards review will likely have far-reaching implications for military personnel policies and the future role of women in America’s armed forces.
Sources:
- Hegseth orders fitness standards to be gender neutral for combat jobs. Many already are
- Hegseth orders review of physical standards for military combat roles
- Pentagon to review physical standards for military combat jobs
