Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on Sunday requiring the U.S. military to establish universal standards for both men and women serving in combat roles.
In a Sunday video recorded on his way back to the United States following his trip to Japan, Hegseth said, “It’s Sunday, but of course, we’re still working. I want to show you one thing. It’s a new memorandum that’s coming out today on combat arms standards. You see, 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 added, “We need to have the same standard, male or female, in our combat roles to ensure our men and women who are under our leaders or 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.”
Hegseth explained that he would be signing the memorandum, which would be reviewed by the various U.S. military service branches, and that the United States would “soon” have “nothing but the highest and equal standards for men and women in combat.”
In the memorandum, which was released on Monday by the Pentagon, Hegseth explained that the U.S. military has become the “most formidable” fighting force in the world by demonstrating a commitment to ” high standards that foster discipline, unity, and purpose.” The defense secretary noted that as warfare continues to evolve, it is “imperative” that the Pentagon “assess and refine the physical fitness standards” that promote the lethality and readiness of the U.S. military.
“I am directing the Secretaries of the Military Departments to develop comprehensive plans to distinguish combat arms occupations from non-combat arms occupations,” Hegseth stated. “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.”
READ MORE: Video: Pentagon cuts $580 million in ‘wasteful spending’
“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 added. ‘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.”
Hegseth’s memorandum noted that the secretaries of the military departments will be required to submit their standard proposals to the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness within 60 days and that the secretaries will provide an update on the proposals within 30 days. Hegseth added that the “full implementation” of new universal standards for men and women in combat roles “must occur within six months of submission.”
