PETE HEGSETH IS REVIEWING MILITARY STANDARDS FOR FITNESS, BODIES, AND BEARDS
The military might have a beard problem, according to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Continuing to alter culture within the American Armed Forces, Hegseth is now calling for a review of military standards ranging from physical fitness to facial hair.
What to Expect From Hegseth’s Review of Military Standards
Pete Hegseth is ordering the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to review the military standards in place regarding the fitness of warfighters, their body composition, and grooming practices.
Beards are specifically called out, but in a new memo, the Defense Secretary mentions multiple grooming practices will be scrutinized.
"We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the world's most lethal and effective fighting force. Our adversaries are not growing weaker, and our tasks are not growing less challenging. This review will illuminate how the Department (of Defense) has maintained the level of standards required over the recent past and the trajectory of any change in those standards," said Hegseth via the memo.
Below, we’re breaking down what is being reviewed regarding the standards expected of warfighters moving forward.
Women, Fitness, and Body Composition
Hegseth's military standards memo calls for a review of physical fitness and body composition standards since 2015.
That year is notable because it's the year The Pentagon opened all combat roles to women—a move Hegseth previously opposed.
Since stating that the military didn't improve its effectiveness or lethality, Hegseth has backed away from those comments.
Most notably, during his confirmation hearing, he assured that women could serve in combat as long as high standards remained intact.
Fitness Tests
Now that The Pentagon is reviewing its standards, the Army Combat Fitness Test will certainly be scrutinized.
Specifically, Hegseth wants to ensure the test is the same for both men and women because, as it stands, gender and age affect the requirement.
Over the years, with waning recruitment, the fitness test has been a challenged attacked by the Army to get more Soldiers.
Along with bonuses and tweaks to drug and tattoo policies, while the same physical and educational standards remained, the Army began pre-enlistment boot camps to better prepare recruits before basic training.
Grooming and Minorities
While other militaries are loosening up their beard policies to boost recruitment, the U.S. military still has a lot to decide.
Arguments and tweaks continue to be made to allow for those with medical conditions or for religious exemptions, yet whether or not they’re allowed seems to shift depending on your branch and how you serve.
In some cases, minority warfighters may find themselves dealing with medical conditions tied to excessive shaving.
"They seem like little things, but they were also tied to a broader initiative during the Biden administration to ensure that there weren't any standards that were disproportionately affecting minorities," Katherine Kuzminski, the director of studies at the Center for a New American Security.
However, grooming standards being reviewed don’t just have ties to facial hair, it also include things, such as allowing female Soldiers the option of wearing a ponytail.
Are Military Standards the Same for Men and Women?
While there are different military standards for men and women, they mostly have to do with the Army Combat Fitness Test. Each gender has its own perimeters that also coincide with the age they must meet.
However, regardless of gender, the standards that must be met to qualify for the Special Forces are the same.
While some believe that having different standards levels the playing field for female warfighters, opponents argue that equal standards improve the military.
Nevertheless, the military standards Hegseth will judge will hopefully remain void of all politics and put the security of our nation and those who defend our freedoms first throughout the entire process.
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