Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is restoring combat readiness by signing a game-changing memorandum that establishes equal physical standards for men and women in military combat roles.
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The directive marks a decisive break from previous administrations’ policies that allowed lower standards for female service members, potentially compromising battlefield effectiveness.
Patriots applaud this return to merit-based military requirements prioritizing warfighting capability over woke social experiments.
For years, conservatives have criticized the lowering of physical standards that followed the 2016 decision to open combat roles to women.
Approximately 4,800 women now serve in Army infantry, armor, and artillery positions, but concerns about readiness have persisted as different physical requirements were applied based on gender.
The memo signed by Hegseth directly addresses this discrepancy by mandating that physical fitness requirements for combat roles must be sex-neutral and based on actual operational demands rather than political correctness or diversity quotas.
Each military service now has 60 days to submit comprehensive reports identifying and classifying combat roles, with clear distinctions between combat arms and non-combat arms occupations.
This inventory will include conventional ground combat roles, special operations forces, and unique positions like military divers.
The Pentagon’s approach recognizes the fundamental truth that enemy bullets and bombs do not discriminate based on gender, so neither should training and qualification standards for those who face them.
At the same time, Hegseth has been uncompromising in his commitment to restoring military excellence and the warrior ethos that made America’s armed forces the world’s finest.
His directive is part of a broader review of military fitness and grooming standards aimed at reversing policies that have diluted America’s combat effectiveness.
The new standards will ensure that every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or guardian in a combat position meets the exact rigorous physical requirements regardless of sex.
In addition, the memo challenges the military services to develop genuinely mission-focused standards rather than politically expedient.
This approach may prove especially difficult for the Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, which have less clearly defined combat roles than the Army and Marines.
On a Navy vessel, all crew members potentially contribute to combat performance, making the distinction between combat and non-combat roles less obvious.
Nevertheless, Hegseth’s directive demands clarity and consistency across all branches to ensure that America’s fighting forces maintain their lethal edge.
The Army is already considering significant changes to its Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). It has been criticized for having excessively low baseline requirements and unrealistically high benchmarks for top scores.
Command Sergeant Major JoAnn Naumann, herself a female soldier, has expressed frustration with the current system, noting, “Quite frankly, as a 50-year-old woman, I’m insulted that they think I need [12] minutes to run a mile.”
Her comments underscore that many female service members want to be held to the same standards as their male counterparts, recognizing that lower expectations do not prepare them for combat.
Hegseth’s directive aligns with his broader mission to refocus the military on its core purpose: winning wars.
Under his leadership, the Defense Department is moving away from diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that have increasingly dominated military policy in recent years.
Conservative military families and veterans have long argued that the Pentagon’s focus should be on lethality and readiness, not social engineering.
With America facing growing threats from China, Russia, Iran, and other adversaries, Hegseth’s memo represents a welcome return to putting warfighting capability first.
