Hegseth orders review of US military fitness and grooming standards

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is combatting loosened restrictions and standards that the Biden administration allowed in the U.S. military.

Hegseth ordered a review of military standards in a memo issued on Wednesday to senior Pentagon leaders, commanders of the combatant commands and Department of Defense field activity directors.

“High standards are what made the United States military the greatest fighting force on the planet,” the defense secretary wrote.

“The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose,” he added. “We are made stronger and more disciplined with high, uncompromising, and clear standards.”

With a stroke of a pen… Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a department-wide review of existing standards for each military branch on physical fitness, body composition, and grooming — including beards.

He writes, “We must remain vigilant in maintaining… standards…… pic.twitter.com/oWu0qw5A7Q

— Candace (@roycan79) March 13, 2025

The Pentagon’s under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness will be reviewing “existing standards set by the Military Departments pertaining to physical fitness, body composition, and grooming, which includes but is not limited to beards.”

“The review will also provide insight on why those standards changed and the impact of those changes,” Hegseth noted. “The USD(P&R) has the authority to task the Secretaries of the Military Departments and other DoD Component heads as necessary to provide any required information in support of this review and will provide detailed guidance to the Military Departments.”

“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,” he continued. “Our adversaries are not growing weaker, and our tasks are not growing less challenging.”

“This review will illuminate how the Department has maintained the level of standards required over the recent past and the trajectory of any change in those standards, the Pentagon chief explained.

Under President Joe Biden’s administration, standards on haircuts, facial hair and body fat percentage requirements were relaxed.

“Changes included allowing women to wear earrings, men to use nail polish, and increasing the allowable body fat percentage for new Air Force recruits, from 20 percent to 26 percent for men and from 28 percent to 36 percent for women,” Newsweek noted. “Critics argue that loosening physical and grooming requirements was an effort to make the military more inclusive and broaden recruitment efforts at a time when enlistment numbers have struggled.”

Our troops will be fit — not fat.

Our troops will look sharp — not sloppy.

We seek only quality — not quotas.

BOTTOM LINE: our @DeptofDefense will make standards HIGH & GREAT again — across the entire force. https://t.co/hB1LOh9n4W

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 13, 2025

Aside from the expected pearl-clutching from leftist critics, Hegseth’s directive was et with applause by many on social media.

Thank you, Sir!
Bring us back to the days when I served, and young folks wanted to serve, wanted that badge of honor. Once you have given of yourself to your country it is always with you, that sense of pride.

— The Old Idea Guy (@Old_Idea_Man) March 13, 2025

It’s about time! You don’t even need to be able to run a mile, do push-ups, pull-ups, and dips anymore to enlist. Ridiculous

— Stock Mom™ (@TheRealStockMom) March 12, 2025

Getting back to the basics!

— gary t (@gt3807713) March 13, 2025

Long overdue

— April Color (@ColorApril) March 13, 2025

I’m not tired of winning like this

— James B (@James_the_166th) March 13, 2025

Senior Staff Writer
[email protected]

Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

Latest posts by Frieda Powers (see all)

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.