Hegseth: No More Fitness Breaks for Women in Combat

The Defense Department on Monday revealed that it would be imposing “sex-neutral” standards for military combat roles.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the changes to its physical fitness requirements in an effort to “fix” the standards that he said were “lowered” under President Barack Obama’s administration.

“Different physical standards for men and women in the U.S. military have existed for a long time. BUT, there were also combat roles that were male-only,” Hegseth said in a statement on X. “Then, under Obama, all combat roles were opened to men AND women. BUT, different physical fitness standards for men and women remained.”

“Today at the Department of Defense—we fix this. All combat roles are open to men and women BUT they must all meet the same, high standard. No standards will be lowered AND all combat roles will only have sex-neutral standards. Common sense,” Hegseth added.

In a March 30 memorandum, the defense secretary said that the nature of warfare has evolved over time and the demands of U.S. service members have grown more complex.

“Sex-neutral” standards must therefore be imposed, according to Hegseth.

“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,” he wrote. “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.”

The defense secretary also directed military secretaries to distinguish between combat and non-combat arms occupations in order to ensure that the standards reflect the unique physical demands of each role.

Hegseth also directed them to come up with comprehensive plans for each of those roles.

In Ground Combat roles, standards should emphasize the ability to carry heavy loads, endure prolonged physical exertion, and perform effectively in hostile environments.

Roles in Special Operation Forces should require “sustained peak physical performance” and incorporate advanced swimming, climbing, parachuting, and the ability to operate in extreme environments.

In Specialized Operations, such as Navy divers, service members must have the endurance to tackle conditions that are considered mentally and physically taxing.

Hegseth has previously expressed his opposition to women in combat jobs and his belief that standards were lowered to accommodate women. He has also been a staunch proponent of setting all standards the same, regardless of gender.

On Jan. 1, 2016, the Defense Department, under Obama, opened all combat roles to women for the first time in U.S. military history.

“They’ll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars and lead infantry soldiers into combat,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter stated at the time. “They’ll be able to serve as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps infantry, Air Force parajumpers, and everything else that was previously open only to men.”

A 2015 study by the Marine Corps revealed the difference in performance between men and women. As part of the study, the Marine Corps conducted a gender integration experiment in which women participated in infantry courses that were typically closed to females. Mixed-gender combat units took up to a staggering 159 percent longer to evacuate a casualty than all-male units, the results showed.