On Sunday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that a uniform standard will now apply to both men and women in combat roles. He unveiled the policy in a video posted on social media Monday morning, fulfilling his Senate confirmation promise to establish a single combat readiness benchmark. He unveiled the policy in a video posted on social media Monday morning, fulfilling his Senate confirmation promise to establish a single combat readiness benchmark.
“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. 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,” the secretary said. “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,” he continued.
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
Hegseth said he would sign the memorandum on Monday, adding, “Soon we will have nothing but the highest and equal standards for men and women in combat.” Before becoming Defense Secretary, Hegseth had previously voiced opposition to women serving in combat roles, but his opposition was based primarily on the fact that there were different physical fitness standards for the two genders.
During the Senate confirmation process, however, he backed off his stance and endorsed a one-standard policy. The change appeared to win him the vote of Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). “As I serve on the Armed Services Committee, I will work with Pete to create the most lethal fighting force and hold him to his commitments of auditing the Pentagon, ensuring opportunity for women in combat while maintaining high standards, and selecting a senior official to address and prevent sexual assault in the ranks,” Ernst said in a statement after meeting with Hegseth.
