{"id":47956,"date":"2025-09-30T18:10:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T18:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/09\/30\/hegseth-blasts-fat-troops-in-rare-gathering-with-military-brass\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:11:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:11:00","slug":"hegseth-blasts-fat-troops-in-rare-gathering-with-military-brass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2025\/09\/30\/hegseth-blasts-fat-troops-in-rare-gathering-with-military-brass\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth blasts \u2018fat troops\u2019 in rare gathering with military brass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lamented against \u201cfat troops\u201d and \u201cwoke\u201d policies Tuesday, pledging to create higher physical fitness and grooming standards with gender neutral, age-normed criteria that match the current male fitness standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt all starts with physical fitness and appearance,\u201d Hegseth told hundreds of top military leaders during a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the Secretary of War can do regular, hard PT [physical training], so can every member of our joint force. Frankly, it\u2019s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,\u201d he added while addressing the room full of generals and admirals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hegseth said he was in the process of ordering 10 department directives, the first of which would ensure that all requirements for every combat Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) \u201creturns to the highest male standard, only because this job is life or death.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon is also implementing a combat field test for combat arms units that Hegseth said \u201cmust be executable in any environment, at any time, and with combat equipment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon will require all members of the joint force to meet the height and weight standards twice per year, take and pass a PT test twice per year and work out during every duty day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also on Tuesday, Hegseth ordered that every service and unit conduct an \u201cimmediate review of their standards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny place where tried-and-true physical standards were altered, especially since 2015 when combat armed standards were changed to ensure females could qualify, must be returned to their original standard,\u201d he said. \u201cOther standards have been manipulated to hit racial quotas as well, which is just as unacceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, those physical standards must be high and gender neutral. If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sits with U.S. military senior leadership as they listen to President Donald Trump speaks at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Quantico, Virginia. (Evan Vucci\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The military has repeatedly said it did not lower qualification requirements for women to serve in some of its toughest combat posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before,\u201d former Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in 2015. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marine Corps researchers compared all-male and gender-integrated combat units<\/a> from 2014 to 2015. They found that all-male units were faster and stronger, but the gender-integrated groups had better problem-solving skills. Morale remained the same among the units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women are currently held to the same standard as men to become infantry, fighter pilots, Army Rangers and to hold other combat posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are still no women in the Navy SEALs, although at least two women have successfully completed the SEAL Officer Assessment and Selection (SOAS) program but did not proceed to Basic Underwater Demolition\/SEAL (BUD\/S) training.<\/p>\n\n\n\t