On Sunday evening, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses reversed the erosion of the standards for more than a decade, hoping to set a physical fitness standard for sexually neutral combat weapons and recruit more women.
“For too long, we have allowed the standards to be slipped, and various standards for men and women in combat weapons. [military occupational specialties] And that's an unacceptable job,” Hegses said in a video about the official plane returning from Japan before signing a memo implementing the order.
“We need to have the same standards as men or women in our combat roles. [in] These formations have the best possible leader and the standard that is likely not based on your gender at all if you are a man or a woman,” he added.
Hegseth's memo directed Army, Navy and Air Force secretaries to develop a comprehensive plan to identify “higher entry levels and sustained physical fitness” to develop a comprehensive plan to distinguish combat weapon occupations from non-combat weapon occupations.
“These roles essential to the success of our military mission require extraordinary physical capabilities, and those standards must reflect their rigor,” writes Hegseth, a veteran of the Army National Guard, serving in combat and physically fits himself.
Hegseth habitually trains with the military during his trip to US military bases overseas as a way to showcase and set an example. He also took part in a charity swim with the Navy Seal before becoming Secretary of Defense.
Hegseth outlined three guidelines:
For ground combat operations, he said the standard should emphasize its ability to carry heavy loads, and its ability to withstand long-term physical movements and function effectively in strict, hostile environments. “Service members in these roles must demonstrate speed, strength, agility and endurance to navigate the demands of combat situations,” he said.
For the Special Operations Force, he said the standards should be “equally strict and incorporate advanced swimming, mountain climbing, parachute and operational capabilities in extreme environments.”
For professional occupations such as naval divers and explosive weapons disposal technicians, he said the focus should be on proficiency in unique and demanding tasks such as aquatic rescue, repair, and demolition. “To work on long periods of physically and mentally taxable conditions requires persistent endurance,” he said.
He said that sustained physical fitness requirements at all entry levels within combat weapon positions must be sexually neutral.
Hegseth asked the secretary to submit proposals to the Secretary of Defense for staff and preparation within 60 days of signing the memo, to make provisional updates within 30 days, and to fully implement the plan within six months of submission.
“This initiative is in line with my broader command to maintain clear, uncompromising standards to ensure continued control of our military,” he said.
Pentagonal spokesman Sean Parnell – Sean Parnell, a veteran and former ranger in the Combat Army, said in a post on X:
For a long time, the US military has slipped the standards of men and women serving the work of combat weapons. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegses, our standards will be high, uniform, uncompromising and clear.
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