In a landmark decision, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed a directive requiring that all U.S. military personnel—regardless of gender—meet the same physical standards to qualify for combat roles. The move marks a major shift away from previous policies that allowed differing benchmarks for men and women in the name of “equity.”
“Combat doesn’t care about your gender,” Hegseth said in a video message to service members. “If you want to serve in a combat arms role, you will meet the same standards. Period.”
For far too long, we have allowed standards to slip. We’ve had different standards for men/women serving in combat arms MOS’s and jobs….
That’s not acceptable, and it changes right now! pic.twitter.com/Zn9OyBew6G
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) March 31, 2025
A Return to Warrior Culture
The policy, which will be rolled out over the next six months, instructs every service branch to define and enforce a single, unified standard for each combat-related military occupation. This includes infantry, special forces, armor, artillery, and other physically demanding fields.
Branches have 60 days to submit their proposed standards for approval.
Hegseth, a former Army officer and combat veteran, emphasized that this isn’t about keeping women out of combat—it’s about ensuring battlefield readiness by eliminating lowered expectations and political favoritism.
“We’ve allowed standards to slip in the name of diversity,” he said. “That ends now. The only diversity we care about in combat is the diversity of skill, toughness, and grit.”
End of Gender-Based Fitness Tests
For years, critics have warned that dual physical fitness standards compromise unit cohesion, especially in front-line combat units where trust and reliability are non-negotiable. This move will phase out gender-specific physical training and testing, replacing it with role-specific standards that reflect real-world operational demands.
Military insiders have confirmed that any service member—male or female—who cannot meet the new benchmarks will be reassigned to a non-combat role.
Impact and Support
Supporters of the policy say it will restore merit-based advancement in the military and reinforce the core warrior ethos that has defined the American armed forces for generations. Veterans groups, combat officers, and enlisted personnel have largely praised the change, calling it long overdue.
Critics, mostly from left-wing activist circles, argue that the policy could reduce female participation in combat arms. Hegseth’s response? “Then they shouldn’t be in those roles to begin with.”
The New Standard: Excellence, Not Equity
This move is part of a broader effort under the Trump administration to reverse Obama- and Biden-era policies that emphasized social engineering over combat effectiveness. Hegseth has made it clear that the U.S. military is returning to its roots as a fighting force, not a diversity experiment.
“America deserves the strongest, most lethal fighting force on the planet,” Hegseth said. “That’s what this is about. One standard. One mission. One team.”
The message is clear: In today’s military, excellence—not equity—will determine who wears the uniform in combat.