War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday a slew of new personnel fitness and grooming directives going after “fat general” and “beardos” in the military.
The new directives will require all military members to pass two fitness tests a year, regardless of rank, and to meet the highest combat standards previously reserved only for men, Hegseth said during his speech at Quantico to senior military leaders. He also announced he would strictly enforce grooming standards for all military members, with exceptions for special operations forces.
Hegseth made elevating standards a top priority of his tenure after years of declining standards often intended to lower barriers to entry and attract more recruits.
“It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” Hegseth said in his remarks. “It’s a bad look. It is bad and it’s not who we are. Whether you are an airborne ranger or a chair-borne ranger, a brand new private or a four-star general, you need to meet your height and weight standards and pass your PT test.”
Soldiers will also be required to engage in PT every duty day, codifying an already common practice among the armed services, Hegseth announced. He also said that he would strictly enforce grooming standards, clamping down on long hair and unshaven faces in the majority of the armed forces, excluding special operations forces. Hegseth had previously issued a review of grooming standard exemptions in March.
“No more Beardos,” Hegseth said. “The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done.”
Hegseth said that women would be permitted in combat roles if they passed the male standard, but no special considerations would be made on the basis of gender.
“If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is… It will also mean that weak men won’t qualify — because we’re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death,” Hegseth said in his remarks.
.@SecWar: “If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is… It will also mean that weak men won’t qualify — because we’re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death.” https://t.co/mxkLUwvnDg pic.twitter.com/sUm0DmvfvC
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 30, 2025
The secretary also added that anyone who has a problem with the administration’s Pentagon overhaul was welcome to resign.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
