There will no longer be different standards for men and women in combat. Men in combat situations shouldn’t be required to worry about women who can’t hold their weight. I say that as a woman. It is not equitable or fair, and it’s irrational to think it is.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the military services to establish uniform combat arms standards for men and women. In a newly released social media video, Hegseth announced signing a memorandum to ensure equal standards.
The move aims to eliminate gender-based differences in combat roles and promote a single, high standard for all service members.
The Pentagon will review and update its policies to ensure compliance with the new directive.
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
The Pentagon launched a force-wide review of physical fitness, grooming and appearance policies on March 12. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the review to examine changes made since 2015, when the military opened all combat roles to women. The effort includes standards on body composition and grooming, such as beard policies, and aims to understand why changes were made and how they’ve impacted readiness.
He directed the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness to collect data from all military branches. He is then to assess the trajectory of those changes.
Specialized roles such as Army Rangers or Navy SEALs already require uniform, rigorous standards. They do not make adjustments for age or gender.
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