Story thread · 6 reports / 3 sources

Pentagon: Male, female troops must pass identical fitness tests to serve in ‘combat arms’ jobs

deseret.com · 4dShare

Combat’s physical demands are no respecter of gender — so the fitness standards for troops in front-line positions must be the same for males and females. That’s the long-held opinion of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — and one now codified by the Pentagon. A recent Defense Department policy formally establishes “sex-neutral” physical fitness standards for troops across the Armed Forces assigned to military occupations classified as “combat arms.” That includes jobs such as an Army infantry soldier and cavalry scout, a Navy SEAL or diver, a Marine Corps rifleman or mortarman, or an Air Force combat rescue officer. The 22-page DOD “Physical Fitness/Body Composition Program” also directs commanders in all military fields to allow for daily fitness sessions for their troops, establishes waist-to-height ratio body composition standards, and outlines testing timelines for postpartum service members. The policy replaces the DOD’s 2022 fitness program. The Pentagon’s fitness report also follo

First report: These are the military’s combat arms jobs that have a new fitness test — taskandpurpose.com, 5d