Hegseth Wants 'Male Standard' for Combat Roles. Many Female Veterans Say That's Already the Case

Hegseth told hundreds of military commanders at a hastily called gathering in Virginia that there would be new directives to ensure that the requirement for every position in combat “returns to the highest male standard.”

He said that “if that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it,” while stressing that the military will continue to welcome women into its ranks. “I don’t want my son serving alongside troops who are out of shape, or in combat units with females who can’t meet the same combat arms physical standards as men,” he said. “This job is life and death. Standards must be met.”

Several prominent women who are combat veterans pushed back on Hegseth’s remarks to emphasize that women who serve in combat roles already are subjected to the same standards as men. Those standards apply to specific combat special operations, infantry, armor, pararescue and other jobs regardless of age or gender.