Hegseth instates 'highest male standard only' for combat, other changes, declaring Dept. of Defense 'is over'

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth revealed on Tuesday that all battle workers would be needed to fulfill the greatest male requirement in order to preserve their positions.

Hegseth stated the department should “bring back a callous, dispassionate and commonsense application of requirements.”

” We’re training warriors, not protectors. We battle wars to win, not to safeguard. Defense is something you do all the time, it’s naturally reactionary and can cause overuse, overreach, and objective creep. War is something you do moderately, on our own terms and with clear goals,” Hegseth stated as he spoke Tuesday early morning at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

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” We battle to win. We release frustrating and penalizing violence on the opponent,” he continued. “We likewise do not battle with foolish guidelines of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to frighten, demoralize, hunt and eliminate the opponents of our nation. No more political correctness and self-important guidelines of engagement, simply good sense, optimum lethality and authority for warfighters.”

The secretary stated that now, “every member of the joint force at every rank is needed to take a test two times a year, in addition to fulfill height and weight requirements two times a year, every year of service.” In addition, members of the joint force will be needed to do PT [physical training] every task day, something Hegseth stated is basic in lots of systems however would be formally codified.

” If the Secretary of War can do routine tough PT, so can every member of our joint force,” he stated.

Hegseth railed versus “fat soldiers” and “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” arguing that physical requirements for American service members had actually worn down, and it was time to raise the bar.

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth takes part in PT with the first Battalion, 10th Unique Forces Group (Airborne), a United States Army Unique Forces battalion based in Stuttgart, Germany. ( DefSec Hegseth on X)

Hegseth kept in mind that any modified physical requirements– consisting of those altered in 2015 “when battle arms requirements were altered to guarantee women might certify”– needed to be gone back to their initial kind. He stated this likewise consisted of requirements he declared were “controlled to strike racial quotas,” calling them “simply as inappropriate.”

While he stated that the brand-new requirement is for soldiers to fulfill the greatest male requirement, Hegseth firmly insisted that the relocation was not indicated to avoid ladies from serving their nation.

” This is not about avoiding ladies from serving. We quite worth the effect of female soldiers. Our female officers and NCOs are the outright finest worldwide. However when it pertains to any task that needs physical power to carry out in battle, those physical requirements need to be high and gender-neutral. If ladies can make it, outstanding. If not, it is what it is,” Hegseth stated. “If that indicates no ladies receive some battle tasks, so be it. That is not the intent, however it might be the outcome, so be it. It will likewise imply that we imply that weak guys will not certify since we’re not playing video games. This is battle. This is life or death.”

Hegseth likewise revealed brand-new grooming requirements. Soldiers are now anticipated to be clean-shaven and have a consistent hairstyle. Soldiers have the ability to get short-term medical exemptions or long-term spiritual exemptions for the shaving guidelines.

” We’re going to cut our hair, shave our beards and follow requirements. Due to the fact that it resembles the damaged windows theory of policing, it resembles when you let the little things go, the huge things ultimately goes,” Hegseth stated. “If you desire a beard, you can sign up with Unique Forces. If not, then shave.”

Unique Forces operators’ beard exemptions are indicated to assist them much better mix in with particular neighborhoods and civilians, according to the not-for-profit Injured Warrior Job.

The Army revealed in July that “the brand-new policy needs exemptions for non-religious factors to be supported by a short-lived medical profile (DA Kind 3349-SG) and an exception-to-policy (ETP) memo approved by an O-5 officer in the hierarchy.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth welcomes Commandant of the Army War College Major General David Hill as he shows up to provide remarks to trainees, professors and personnel at the U.S. Army War college on April 23, 2025 in Carlisle, Pa. ( Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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The other part of the shift that Hegseth revealed consisted of additional actions to root out “poisonous ideological trash” from the department.

” No more identity months, DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] workplaces, men in gowns. No more environment modification praise. No more department, diversion or gender misconceptions,” he stated. “As I have actually stated in the past, and I’ll reiterate, we are finished with that s–.”

More knocking of wokeness in the military, Hegseth revealed significant modifications targeted at offering leaders 2nd possibilities. He stated that the Department of War was well-aware that errors would be made with the brand-new regulations, and, as such, he likewise would be executing modifications to the retention of unfavorable details on workers records. This indicates that leaders with “forgivable, earnest, or small violations” on their records will not invest the rest of their professions spending for those errors, enabling them to take control without worry.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks with senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Quantico, Va. ( Andrew Harnik/Pool through AP)

Throughout his address to military management, Hegseth made it clear that the reestablishment of the Department of War was more than a name modification; it was likewise a significant shift in policy.

” The age of the Department of Defense is over,” he stated. “From this minute forward, the only objective of the freshly brought back Department of War is this: War combating. Getting ready for war and preparing to win.”