Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo on Monday that calls for men and women to meet the same physical standards for combat roles.
“For far too long, we allowed standards to slip, and different standards for men and women in combat arms MOS’s and jobs. That’s not acceptable,” Hegseth said. “We need to have the same standards – male or female – in our combat roles to ensure our men and women who are under our leaders and in those formations have the best possible leaders and the highest possible standards that are not based at all on your sex.”
The memo states that it is “imperative that we assess and refine the physical fitness standards that enable our readiness and lethality.”
“I am directing the Secretaries of the Military Departments to develop comprehensive plans to distinguish combat arms occupations from non-combat arms occupations,” Hegseth wrote. “This effort will ensure that our standards are clear, mission-focused, and reflective of the unique physical demands placed on our Service members in various roles.”
The memo details three specific areas the plans must address: ground combat operations, Special Operations Forces (SOF) occupations, and specialized occupations.
“All entry-level and sustained physical fitness requirements within combat arms positions must be sex-neutral, based solely on the operational demands of the occupation and the readiness needed to confront any adversary,” the memo declares. “In establishing those standards, the Secretaries of the Military Departments may not establish standards that would result in any existing Service member being held to a lower standard.”
Earlier this month, Hegseth called for a review of the military’s fitness and grooming standards after such policies were loosened under the Biden administration.
