Women already must pass gender-neutral physical fitness requirements for combat posts, but Hegseth contends the standards for women are lower.

Hegseth’s memo directs the military services to develop new standards distinguishing combat positions like infantry or armor from noncombat positions.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday ordered a sweeping review of military fitness standards for combat roles -- but before the Pentagon can tighten requirements, he wants clarity on which ...

From the moment women entered the combat arms, the Pentagon focused on maintaining standards over anything else — and, in ...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called for all military branches to review standards for shaving, fitness and troops in combat roles. In a memo last week, Hegseth directed the secretaries to ...

(Stephen B. Morton/AP) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday ordered a 60-day review of military combat arms standards to ensure that exceptions are not being made for female troops to assume ...

Morton/AP) The review follows past concerns from Hegseth that military readiness ... with different standards for men and women in combat arms. That’s not acceptable,” he said.

Members of a platoon of female U.S. Marine Corps recruits gear up before training in hand-to-hand combat at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, S.C., in 2023. (Stephen B. Morton/AP) ...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a 60-day review of physical standards for military combat roles to ensure female troops are not being given exceptions for the physically challenging ...