Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced that there would soon be just one standard for both men and women in combat roles.
One of the biggest criticisms of military and law enforcement policy from conservatives has been the fact that they have created separate physical standards for men and women, with many pointing out that the lower standard for women could put other soldiers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, or even victims in danger if a woman does not have the physical capability of doing their job properly. One main example is a hypothetical situation where a female officer, firefighter, or soldier is sent in to rescue an injured person, but is unable to carry the individual out of the situation.
On March 30, Hegseth announced in a video posted to X that he would be keeping the promise he made during his Senate confirmation process to implement a single combat readiness standard that will apply to both men and women.
“It’s Sunday, but of course, we’re still working. I want to show you one thing. It’s a new memorandum that’s coming out today on combat arms standards,” the Defense Secretary said in the video. “You see, for far too long, we allowed standards to slip and different standards for men and women in combat arms MOSs and jobs. That’s not acceptable.
“We need to have the same standard, male or female, in our combat roles to ensure our men and women who are under our leaders or in those formations have the best possible leaders and the highest possible standards that are not based at all on your sex if you’re a man or a woman,” Hegseth added.
He went on to note that he would be signing the memorandum on March 31, adding: “Soon we will have nothing but the highest and equal standards for men and women in combat.”
For far too long, we have allowed standards to slip. We’ve had different standards for men/women serving in combat arms MOS’s and jobs….
That’s not acceptable, and it changes right now! pic.twitter.com/Zn9OyBew6G
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) March 31, 2025
This decision comes after Hegseth faced backlash from Democrats, especially Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), during his Senate confirmation process for previous comments in opposition to women serving in combat roles. During the hearings, Hegseth slightly backed off of that position, instead endorsing a single standard policy that would apply to both sexes.
