'If women can make it': Pete Hegseth calls for 'gender-neutral' fitness rules; signals fewer women in combat roles

US defense secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday announced new directives for the military, including implementing gender-neutral physical fitness standards and eliminating what he described as "woke" culture from the armed forces. The announcement came during an in-person meeting with military officials at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia.

The new policies are guided by what Hegseth calls the “1990 test,” which examines whether changes to military standards since 1990 were necessary due to evolving combat needs or were influenced by other priorities. “The 1990s test is simple. What were the military standards in 1990, and if they have changed, tell me why: Was it a necessary change based on the evolving landscape of combat, or was the change due to a softening, weakening or gender-based pursuit of other priorities?” he explained.


“I don’t want my son serving alongside troops who are out of shape, or in a combat unit with females who can’t meet the same Combat Arms physical standards as men, or troops who are not fully proficient on their assigned weapons, platform, or task, or under a leader who was the first but not the best. Standards must be uniform, gender neutral and high,” Hegseth said.

Women were first allowed in direct combat roles during the Obama administration. While Hegseth did not announce a full rollback of women in combat, he made it clear that the “highest male standards” would now apply to all combat roles. He acknowledged that this could result in fewer women qualifying for some positions.

“We very much value the impact of female troops — our female officers and NCOs are the absolute best in the world. But when it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, those physical standards must be high and gender-neutral,” he said. “If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be the result.”

Under the new rules, all combat personnel, including generals and admirals, will be required to pass two yearly physical tests. Hegseth emphasized that the standards are “gender neutral” but will be based on the “highest male standard” for physical fitness in combat roles.