‘Fat troops are tiring to look at’: Hegseth orders top officers to focus on fitness<\/p>\n
It all starts with physical fitness and appearance, he says.<\/p>\n
He then compares this to his \u201cregular hard PT\u201d.<\/p>\n
He says \u201cit\u2019s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also unacceptable seeing \u201cfat<\/strong> generals and admirals<\/strong> in the halls of the Pentagon, and leading commands around the country and the world\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bad look<\/strong>,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.08 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n 12m ago<\/p>\n Hegseth says that if new military standards prevent women from serving in combat, ‘it is what it is’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 17m ago<\/p>\n Pentagon will review its definitions of ‘toxic leadership’, ‘bullying’ and ‘hazing’, says Hegseth<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 20m ago<\/p>\n ‘No more beardos,’ Hegseth tells military leaders they must look professional<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 27m ago<\/p>\n ‘Fat troops are tiring to look at’: Hegseth orders top officers to focus on fitness<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 29m ago<\/p>\n Combat troops will have to meet \u2018highest male standard’, Hegseth says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 47m ago<\/p>\n ‘We are done with that shit’: Hegseth says military is done with diversity efforts in extraordinary speech to generals<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n ‘You might say, we’re ending the war on warriors,’ says Pete Hegseth in speech to military leaders<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n Trump and Hegseth to address unprecedented gathering of military leaders<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Trump gutting protected status for immigrants will strain US healthcare, Democrats warn<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Donald Trump to preside over gathering of US military’s top commanders in Quantico, Virginia<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n US justice department sues Minnesota over sanctuary city policies<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Pentagon review reportedly confirms Aukus submarines pact is safe<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n US deports planeload of Iranians after deal with Tehran, New York Times says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n US government to shut down within hours if no funding deal agreed<\/p>\n <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n He also announces he\u2019s restructuring the complaints process.<\/p>\n \u201cNo 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,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Hegseth says that if new military standards prevent women from serving in combat, ‘it is what it is’<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not about preventing women from serving,\u201d he says. \u201cWe 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.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is.<\/strong> If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it.<\/strong> 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\u2019t qualify because we\u2019re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.12 EDT<\/p>\n Pentagon will review its definitions of ‘toxic leadership’, ‘bullying’ and ‘hazing’, says Hegseth<\/p>\n He says upholding and enforcing high standards is \u201cnot toxic\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cLeading 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,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n He says it would be \u201ctoxic leadership\u201d to endanger \u201csubordinates with low standards\u201d or promote people on a non-merit basis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why today at my direction, we\u2019re undertaking a full review of the department\u2019s definitions of so-called toxic leadership, bullying and hazing<\/strong> to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing,\u201d he announces.<\/p>\n He clarifies this does not mean \u201cnasty bullying and hazing\u201d.<\/p>\n Words like \u201cbullying\u201d, \u201chazing\u201d and \u201ctoxic\u201d have \u201cbeen weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.07 EDT<\/p>\n ‘No more beardos,’ Hegseth tells military leaders they must look professional<\/p>\n He turns to \u201cgrooming standards\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cNo more beards<\/strong>, long hair, superficial individual expression,\u201d he vowed. \u201cWe\u2019re going to cut our hair, shave our beards and adhere to standards.\u201d<\/p>\n If someone wants a beard, then \u201cjoin special forces\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t 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,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cThe era of unprofessional appearance is over,\u201d he declares: \u201cNo more beardos.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n If someone cannot meet male physical standards for combat, cannot pass a physical test or does not want to shave and look professional, \u201cit\u2019s time for a new position or a new profession\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not talking hot yoga and stretching \u2013 real, hard PT,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.59 EDT<\/p>\n Hegseth says troops will be required to hit height and weight requirements and take fitness tests twice a year.<\/p>\n Troops will be required to perform physical fitness activity every day on duty, he adds.<\/p>\n \u201cMost units do that already, but we\u2019re codifying,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.59 EDT<\/p>\n ‘Fat troops are tiring to look at’: Hegseth orders top officers to focus on fitness<\/p>\n It all starts with physical fitness and appearance, he says.<\/p>\n He then compares this to his \u201cregular hard PT\u201d.<\/p>\n He says \u201cit\u2019s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also unacceptable seeing \u201cfat<\/strong> generals and admirals<\/strong> in the halls of the Pentagon, and leading commands around the country and the world\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bad look<\/strong>,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.08 EDT<\/p>\n Combat troops will have to meet \u2018highest male standard’, Hegseth says<\/p>\n He says he is also adding a \u201ccombat field test\u201d for combat arms units.<\/p>\n He says he\u2019s also directing that \u201cwar-fighters in combat jobs execute their service fitness test at a gender-neutral, age norm, male standard scored above 70%\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want my son serving alongside troops who are out shape, or in a combat unit with females who can\u2019t meet the same combat arms physical standards as men<\/strong>, 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,\u201d Hegseth says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.10 EDT<\/p>\n He announces the first of ten war department directives.<\/p>\n He says \u201ceach service will ensure that every requirement for every combat MOS for every designated combat arms position returns to the highest male<\/strong> standard only\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe era of politically correct, overly sensitive, don\u2019t hurt anyone\u2019s feelings leadership ends right now,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n He says he wants \u201cruthless, dispassionate and common sense application of standards\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n He says the new war department \u201cgolden rule\u201d is: \u201cDo onto your unit as you would have done onto your own child\u2019s unit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you want him serving with fat or unfit or undertrained troops? Or alongside people who can\u2019t make basic standards? Or in a unit where standards were lowered so certain types of troops could make it in? In a unit where leaders were promoted for reasons other than merit, performance and war-fighting? The answer\u2019s not just no, it\u2019s hell no,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n He says he\u2019s made it his mission \u201cto uproot the obvious distractions that made us less capable and less lethal\u201d.<\/p>\n But there are deeper problems \u201cbeneath the woke garbage\u201d, he adds.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.39 EDT<\/p>\n ‘We are done with that shit’: Hegseth says military is done with diversity efforts in extraordinary speech to generals<\/p>\n He says the administration has \u201cdone a great deal to remove the social justice<\/strong>, politically correct<\/strong> and toxic ideological garbage<\/strong> that had infected our department\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cNo more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cNo more climate change worship<\/strong>, no more division, distraction or gender delusions<\/strong>, no more debris.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are done with that shit,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.50 EDT<\/p>\n \u201cFoolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass headed, and we lost our way,\u201d he says. \u201cWe became \u2018the woke<\/strong> department\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot any more,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.33 EDT<\/p>\n He says the department has spent too long promoting \u201crisk averse go-along to get-along conformists\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.31 EDT<\/p>\n He claims that \u201cfor too long, we\u2019ve promoted too many uniform leaders for the wrong reasons \u2013 based on their race<\/strong>, based on gender<\/strong> quotas, based on historic so-called firsts<\/strong>,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>‘You might say, we’re ending the war on warriors,’ says Pete Hegseth in speech to military leaders<\/p>\n Hegseth is speaking now.<\/p>\n He says his speech is about \u201cfixing decades of decay<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re clearing out the debris, removing distractions, clearing the way for leaders to be leaders,\u201d says Hegseth. \u201cYou might say, we\u2019re ending the war on warriors<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.16 EDT<\/p>\n Trump and Hegseth to address unprecedented gathering of military leaders<\/p>\n Defense secretary Pete Hegseth<\/a> is due to address the country\u2019s top military leaders in Quantico, Virginia quite soon (it was billed as 8.15am ET). Donald Trump will also be attending, and it was revealed last night that he\u2019ll also be speaking at 9am ET.<\/p>\n Last week, hundreds of generals and admirals were summoned at short notice and without explanation from around the world for this unusual meeting with Hegseth at at the Marine Corps Museum. They were initially not told why they were summoned in this unprecedented way, but it\u2019s being reported that Hegseth is expected to talk about \u201cwarrior ethos\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n