{"id":2417974,"date":"2025-03-31T13:00:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T17:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseth-orders-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T13:04:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T17:04:00","slug":"hegseth-orders-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseth-orders-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth Orders Return To &#8216;Sex-Neutral Standards&#8217; In The Military"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhegseth-orders-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2417974&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>On March 31, 2025, defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo reinstating &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cotton-u-s-armys-affirmative-action-for-women-is-going-to-get-people-killed\/\" title=\"Cotton: U.S. Army\u2019s Affirmative Action For ... \u2018Is Going To Get People Killed\u2019\">sex-neutral standards<\/a>&#8221; for military combat roles. Hegseth emphasized the need for equal standards for both men and women to ensure the best leadership and operational readiness. The memo instructs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-supporters-unequivocally-support-extremism-according-to-pentagon-official-overseeing-efforts-to-root-out-extremism\/\" title=\"Trump Supporters Unequivocally Support Extremism, According To Pentagon Official Overseeing Efforts To Root Out Extremism\">military department secretaries<\/a> to create plans that differentiate combat from non-combat roles, focusing on physical fitness requirements based solely on job demands rather than gender. These plans must be submitted for review within 60 days and implemented within six months.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Hegseth&#8217;s directive critiques the previous lax standards, asserting that maintaining high physical capabilities is vital for military success. Historical data suggests that mixed-gender combat units have underperformed compared to all-male units, reinforcing the Secretary\u2019s commitment to uniform standards. The issue of gender roles in combat was also a meaningful topic during Hegseth&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/obamas-longest-serving-cabinet-member-confirmed-to-bidens-cabinet\/\" title=\"Obama\u2019s Longest-Serving Cabinet Member Confirmed To Biden\u2019s Cabinet\">confirmation hearing earlier<\/a> in the year, highlighting ongoing debates about women\u2019s combat inclusion.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:250328-D-FN350-4024_SecDef_Pete_Hegseth_signs_a_memorandum_aboard_an_E-4B_Nightwatch_aircraft_while_flying_over_the_Pacific_Ocean,_March_28,_2025.jpg\">Madelyn Keech\/U.S. Secretary of Defense\/Wikimedia Commons<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/31\/hegseth-signs-memo-ordering-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Hegseth%20Signs%20Memo%20Ordering%20Return%20To%20%E2%80%98Sex-Neutral%20Standards%E2%80%99%20In%20The%20Military&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/31\/hegseth-signs-memo-ordering-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Hegseth%20Signs%20Memo%20Ordering%20Return%20To%20%E2%80%98Sex-Neutral%20Standards%E2%80%99%20In%20The%20Military&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/31\/hegseth-signs-memo-ordering-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/31\/hegseth-signs-memo-ordering-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Hegseth%20Signs%20Memo%20Ordering%20Return%20To%20%E2%80%98Sex-Neutral%20Standards%E2%80%99%20In%20The%20Military&amp;body='These%20roles,%20which%20are%20critical%20to%20our%20military%E2%80%99s%20mission%20success,%20demand%20exceptional%20physical%20capabilities,%20and%20the%20standards%20for%20them%20must%20reflect%20that%20rigor,'%20Hegseth%20wrote.%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/31\/hegseth-signs-memo-ordering-return-to-sex-neutral-standards-in-the-military\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Sunday ordering the return of &ldquo;sex-neutral standards&rdquo; for military combat roles. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We need to have the same standards, 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,&rdquo; Hegseth said. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-571401062\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to a copy of the directive obtained by The Federalist, Hegseth has instructed the secretaries of America&rsquo;s military departments to &ldquo;develop comprehensive plans to distinguish combat arms occupations from non-combat arms occupations.&rdquo; These plans, as specified by the defense secretary, must also &ldquo;identify which positions require heightened entry-level and sustained physical fitness&rdquo; for &ldquo;certain combat arms roles.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These roles, which are critical to our military&rsquo;s mission success, demand exceptional physical capabilities, and the standards for them must reflect that rigor,&rdquo; Hegseth wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The plans to be developed by the military departments must address &ldquo;Ground Combat Operations,&rdquo; &ldquo;Special Operations Forces (SOF) Occupations,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Specialized Occupations,&rdquo; according to the directive. <\/p>\n<p>Most notable about Sunday&rsquo;s memo, however, are its instructions for military departments to abide by &ldquo;sex-neutral standards&rdquo; when drafting their plans. It specifies that &ldquo;[a]ll 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.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In establishing those standards, the Secretaries of the Military Departments may not establish standards that would result in any existing Service member being held to a lower standard,&rdquo; the memo reads. <\/p>\n<p>All military department secretaries must submit &ldquo;an interim update&rdquo; on the status of their plans to the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness no later than 30 days after the memo&rsquo;s issuance. Final reports must be submitted within 60 days of the memo&rsquo;s release. <\/p>\n<p>These plans will take effect &ldquo;within six months of submission,&rdquo; according to the directive.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For too long, the U.S. military has let standards slip for men and women serving in combat arms jobs. Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth&rsquo;s leadership, our standards will be high, uniform, uncompromising, and clear,&rdquo; Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told The Federalist. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <span class=\"NQ0YikP7ASWJDciGR2DFyzob5mrskrlWjgCIfuG2OXEqOyafE891VPzKnxtV8ZY4dchvULRpLTowHl45eKAMtae6BXbqx\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">For far too long, we have allowed standards to slip. We&rsquo;ve had different standards for men\/women serving in combat arms MOS&rsquo;s and jobs&hellip;.<\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s not acceptable, and it changes right now! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Zn9OyBew6G\">pic.twitter.com\/Zn9OyBew6G<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecDef\/status\/1906677003400442284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 31, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The issue of women serving in military combat roles was a prominent issue during Hegseth&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/14\/democrats-hegseth-hearing-theatrics-prove-theyre-unserious-about-u-s-national-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confirmation hearing<\/a> before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this year. The body&rsquo;s Democrat members (and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa) were adamant in their<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/15\/no-the-military-should-not-be-sending-women-into-combat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> collective belief<\/a> that the military should be able to deploy women to the trenches to fight America&rsquo;s wars. <\/p>\n<p>Despite such impassioned arguments, available data suggests that there is no discernable benefit to the policy. <\/p>\n<p>For example, in 2015, under the Obama administration, the Marine Corps conducted an analysis comparing the efficiency of all-male and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-the-military-should-not-be-sending-women-into-combat\/\" title=\"No, The ... Should Not Be Sending ... Into ...\">mixed-sex combat units<\/a>. According to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2015\/09\/10\/mixed-gender-teams-come-up-short-in-marines-infantry-experiment\/\">Marine&nbsp;<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2015\/09\/10\/mixed-gender-teams-come-up-short-in-marines-infantry-experiment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Corps Times<\/a>, the study found that the former outperformed the latter &ldquo;in nearly every capacity.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>The outlet reported that sex-integrated units not only &ldquo;performed at lower overall levels, completed tasks more slowly and fired weapons with less accuracy than their all-male counterparts,&rdquo; but female Marines also &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">sustained significantly higher injury rates<\/a> and demonstrated lower levels of physical performance capacity overall.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p style=\" margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block;\">   <a title=\"View Combat Arms Standards OSD003173-25 RES FINAL on Scribd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/844881305\/Combat-Arms-Standards-OSD003173-25-RES-FINAL#from_embed\" style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Combat Arms Standards OSD003173-25 RES FINAL<\/a> by <a title=\"View The Federalist's profile on Scribd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/user\/274202084\/The-Federalist#from_embed\" style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Federalist<\/a> on Scribd<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" title=\"Combat Arms Standards OSD003173-25 RES FINAL\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/embeds\/844881305\/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-rmih14wGZJesBVYAjxM7\" data-auto-height=\"false\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.7733905579399142\" scrolling=\"no\" id=\"doc_46886\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>  \t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Shawn Fleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShawnFleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@ShawnFleetwood<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/shawnfleetwood\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/defense-department\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Defense Department<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/female-soldiers\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">female soldiers<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/fitness-standards\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">fitness standards<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/military\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">military<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/pentagon\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Pentagon<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Pete Hegseth<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/sean-parnell\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Sean Parnell<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Trump Administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/u-s-military\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">U.S. military<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/women-in-combat\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">women in combat<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo reinstating &#8220;sex-neutral standards&#8221; for military combat roles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2417975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Pete-Hegseth-2.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[45173,39947,52558],"class_list":["post-2417974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-hegseth","tag-military-policy","tag-sex-neutral-standards"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Pete-Hegseth-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2417974"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2417978,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417974\/revisions\/2417978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2417975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2417974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2417974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2417974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}