‘Fat troops are tiring to look at’: Hegseth orders top officers to focus on fitness
It all starts with physical fitness and appearance, he says.
He then compares this to his “regular hard PT”.
He says “it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops”.
It’s also unacceptable seeing “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon, and leading commands around the country and the world”.
“It’s a bad look,” he says.
Updated at 09.08 EDT
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“If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” he says.
He justifies his firing of senior generals and admirals.
He also announces he’s restructuring the complaints process.
“No more frivolous complaints, no more anonymous complaints, no more repeat complaints, no more smearing reputations, no more endless waiting, no more legal limbo, no more sidetracking careers, no more walking on eggshells,” he says.
ShareHegseth says that if new military standards prevent women from serving in combat, ‘it is what it is’
“This is not about preventing women from serving,” he says. “We very much value the impact of female troops. Our female officers and NCOs are the absolute best in the world. But when it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, those physical standards must be high and gender neutral.”
“If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be the result, so be it … It will also mean that we mean that weak men won’t qualify because we’re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death,” he says.
Updated at 09.12 EDT
Pentagon will review its definitions of ‘toxic leadership’, ‘bullying’ and ‘hazing’, says Hegseth
He says upholding and enforcing high standards is “not toxic”.
“Leading war fighters toward the goals of high, gender neutral and uncompromising standards in order to forge a cohesive, formidable and lethal Department of War is not toxic,” he says.
He says it would be “toxic leadership” to endanger “subordinates with low standards” or promote people on a non-merit basis.
“That’s why today at my direction, we’re undertaking a full review of the department’s definitions of so-called toxic leadership, bullying and hazing to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing,” he announces.
He clarifies this does not mean “nasty bullying and hazing”.
Words like “bullying”, “hazing” and “toxic” have “been weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs,” he says.
Updated at 09.07 EDT
‘No more beardos,’ Hegseth tells military leaders they must look professional
He turns to “grooming standards”.
“No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression,” he vowed. “We’re going to cut our hair, shave our beards and adhere to standards.”
If someone wants a beard, then “join special forces”, he says.
“We don’t have a military full of Nordic pagans, but unfortunately, we have had leaders who either refuse to call BS and enforce standards or leaders who felt like they were not allowed to enforce standards,” he says.
“The era of unprofessional appearance is over,” he declares: “No more beardos.”
If someone cannot meet male physical standards for combat, cannot pass a physical test or does not want to shave and look professional, “it’s time for a new position or a new profession”.
“We’re not talking hot yoga and stretching – real, hard PT,” he says.
Updated at 08.59 EDT
Hegseth says troops will be required to hit height and weight requirements and take fitness tests twice a year.
Troops will be required to perform physical fitness activity every day on duty, he adds.
“Most units do that already, but we’re codifying,” he says.
Updated at 08.59 EDT
‘Fat troops are tiring to look at’: Hegseth orders top officers to focus on fitness
It all starts with physical fitness and appearance, he says.
He then compares this to his “regular hard PT”.
He says “it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops”.
It’s also unacceptable seeing “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon, and leading commands around the country and the world”.
“It’s a bad look,” he says.
Updated at 09.08 EDT
Combat troops will have to meet ‘highest male standard’, Hegseth says
He says he is also adding a “combat field test” for combat arms units.
He says he’s also directing that “war-fighters in combat jobs execute their service fitness test at a gender-neutral, age norm, male standard scored above 70%”.
“I don’t want my son serving alongside troops who are out shape, or in a combat unit with females who can’t meet the same combat arms physical standards as men, or troops who are not fully proficient on their assigned weapons, platform, or task, or under a leader who was the first but not the best. Standards must be uniform, gender neutral, and high,” Hegseth says.
Updated at 09.10 EDT
He announces the first of ten war department directives.
He says “each service will ensure that every requirement for every combat MOS for every designated combat arms position returns to the highest male standard only”.