Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Orders Sex-Neutral Fitness Standards for Combat Arms

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday evening ordered the military services to set sex-neutral physical fitness standards for combat arms, reversing more than a decade of the erosion of standards in hopes of recruiting more women.

“For far too long, we allowed standards to slip, and different standards for men and women in combat arms, [military occupational specialties] and jobs, that’s not acceptable,” Hegseth said in a video on his official plane flying back from Japan before signing a memo to implement the order.

“We need to have the same standard male or female in our combat roles to ensure our men and women who are [in] those formations have the best possible leaders and the highest possible standards that are not based at all on your sex, if you’re a man or a woman,” he added. “Soon we’ll have nothing but the highest and equal standards for men and women in combat.

Hegseth’s memo directed the secretary of the Army, Navy and Air Force to develop comprehensive plans to distinguish combat arms occupations from non-combat arms occupations in order to identify which positions require “heightened entry level and sustained physical fitness.”

“These roles, which are critical to our military’s mission success, demand exceptional physical capabilities, and the standards for them must reflect that rigor,” wrote Hegseth, who is an Army National Guard veteran, served in combat, and is himself physically fit.

Hegseth habitually does physical training with troops while on travel to overseas U.S. military bases, as way to touch base with troops and lead by example. He also participated in a charity swim with Navy SEALs before becoming defense secretary.

Hegseth outlined three guidelines.

For ground combat operations, he said standards should emphasize the ability to carry heavy loads, endure prolonged physical exertion, and perform effectively in austere, hostile environments. “Service members in these roles must exhibit speed, strength, agility, and endurance to navigate the demands of combat situations,” he said.

For special operations forces, he said the standards must be “equally rigorous, incorporating advanced swimming, climbing, parachuting, and the ability to operate in extreme environments.” “Sustained peak physical performance is essential to execute missions of the highest stakes across diverse and challenging terrains,” he said.

For specialized occupations like Navy Divers and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians, he said the focus should be on proficiency in those unique and demanding tasks such as aquatic rescue, repair, and demolition. “Sustained endurance is necessary to tackle long hours in physically and mentally taxing conditions,” he said.

He said 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.”

Hegseth asked the secretaries to submit their proposals to the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness within 60 days of the memo’s signing, with an interim update within 30 days, and full implementation of the plans within six months of submission.

“This initiative aligns with my broader directive to maintain uncompromising and clear standards that ensure the continued dominance of our military,” he said.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell — a combat Army veteran and former Ranger — said in a post on X:

For too long, the U.S. military has let standards slip for men & women serving in combat arms jobs. Under President Trump & Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, our standards will be high, uniform, uncompromising, & clear.

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