DEFENSE SECRETARY HEGSETH ORDERS MILITARY MEDICAL REVIEW

On April 24, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum that directed a complete review military medical standards and conditions that are disqualifying potential service members from joining the military.

Defense Secretary Hegseth's Military Medical Standards Review

The new memorandum that was just recently signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could change how the U.S. military decides who is medically fit to serve.

The memo, titled “Review of Medical Conditions Disqualifying for Accession into the Military,” is going to be a full reassessment of current rules that allow people with serious medical conditions to enlist.

There are growing concerns because there are just too many waivers being granted; therefore, Hegseth decided to sign it. It also raises a big question because the current conditions might be putting military readiness at risk.

The memorandum points to Department of Defense Instruction 6130.03, Volume 1, which has the list of standards for military enlistment​.

The waivers are allowing conditions like schizophrenia, chronic heart failure, and even chronic oxygen use. Therefore, Secretary Hegseth’s concern is that people with these conditions might not be able to complete basic training or handle the demands of military service.

"Applicants for military service… must be physically and mentally able to perform their duties under the harshest of conditions without risk to themselves or others," he said in a video posted on Defense Department social media accounts.

Reasons for 2023 Military Medical Standards Review

There’s a growing number of waivers being given out in recent years, and that is one of the major reasons for this review.

Back in 2022, about 17% of all new military recruits received medical waivers, and that number was only 12% back in 2013. Therefore, there’s a noticeable change.

The Navy gave out 15,900 waivers in 2022, which is definitely a big increase from previous years, and that is only one branch.

Some of the increase is because modern health record systems now flag more medical issues, and it’s also raising serious concerns that many service members aren't currently fulfilling the standards.

There are some studies that say conditions like schizophrenia can be worse when there is extreme stress, and military life can add to that. Heart problems can make someone unable to keep up physically, and chronic oxygen use points to serious lung problems, which would make it very hard to serve in demanding environments.

It is obvious that mental readiness is just as important as physical health because when serving in the military, especially in combat situations, a service member who has a condition that makes it hard to think clearly or remain emotionally stable could put an entire unit at risk.

Objectives of 2023 Military Medical Standards Review

The new memo carefully lays out a plan, and over the next 30 days, the Department of Defense will look closely at which military medical standards should automatically disqualify someone from joining.

The review will also know which conditions might still be allowed under a waiver, but only if a senior military leader signs off.

For this review, the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness will take over it, and once completed, their findings and proposed updates will go to Secretary Hegseth for final approval.

So now, the goal is to update the military medical standards to better match the current demand for deployment.

Impact on Military Recruitment from Standards Review

With the new memo, it clearly can make people wonder if this will make it harder for the military to find enough new recruits.

The armed forces have faced ongoing recruitment challenges in recent years. However, officials believe that raising standards actually makes the military more interesting to many people, and not the other way around. Hegseth noted that more Americans are interested in joining because they respect the military’s high expectations.

“High standards equal lethality,” he said. “Under President Donald J. Trump, we’ve seen a huge surge of Americans who want to join … a military with high, clear standards.”

With that, the goal is not to shrink the military but to make sure every new recruit is ready for the job.

The military wants to be open to all who are capable, but it also has a responsibility to protect its service members. So, by reviewing the military medical standards and which medical conditions are allowed, the Department of Defense is trying to make sure that only those who are fully prepared can join.

Read next:

• Marine Corps Cracks Down on Shaving Waivers for Those with Medical Conditions
• These Are Some of the Dumbest, but Totally Real, US Military Rules
• What Happens if Your Spouse Doesn't Meet the Military Height and Weight Requirements?

Sources:

• Defense Secretary Orders Review of Medical Standards for Military Enlistment