Trump’s Defense Secretary Moves to Bar Women from Combat Roles

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a major overhaul of military fitness standards, declaring that all combat roles must have gender-neutral physical requirements.

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth instructed military leaders to clearly define combat arms positions, such as infantry and special operations, and impose heightened physical fitness requirements for those roles. He emphasized that standards should be based solely on operational demands rather than gender accommodations.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Hegseth wrote: “For too long, we’ve had different standards for men and women in combat roles. That changes right now!”

Hegseth, a vocal critic of women in combat, stated on a podcast last November that their inclusion has “not made the military more effective or lethal but rather more complicated.”

While acknowledging that women have a role in the military, he insisted they should not serve in combat units such as artillery, armor, infantry, or special operations.

“Dads push us to take risks, moms put the training wheels on our bikes. We need moms—but not in combat units,” he added.