Pentagon chief orders gender-neutral fitness standards for combat troops

"I am directing the Secretaries of the Military Departments to develop comprehensive plans to distinguish combat arms occupations from non-combat arms occupations," Hegseth wrote in the memo, which is dated March 30.

"All entry-level and sustained physical fitness requirements within combat arms positions must be sex-neutral, based solely on the operational demands of the occupation and the readiness needed to confront any adversary," according to the memo, which also specifies that no current standards will be lowered.

Making changes to physical fitness standards could potentially curb the recruitment of new military personnel as well as the retention of those already in the armed forces.

But having gender-neutral requirements for combat troops -- who face physically demanding tasks in the field, such as marching long distances and carrying heavy weapons and packs that are the same regardless of gender -- would ensure they all meet the same minimum standards.

On an episode of the "Shawn Ryan Show" podcast aired before his nomination to be defense secretary, Hegseth said he was opposed to women serving in combat roles, though not their presence in the armed forces as a whole.

But he sought to move away from those remarks in his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year, telling lawmakers that "women will have access to ground combat roles... given the standards remain high."

Hegseth is a frequent critic of so-called "woke" policies -- by companies, at universities, and in the military -- that attempt to increase opportunities for ethnic and sexual minorities, and has launched a campaign against such policies as Pentagon chief.