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Physical fitness and combat training standards will be raised and scrutinized, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday told hundreds of generals, admirals and senior enlisted personnel from across the services and components at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
The audience included some National Guard commanders, brigadier general and above, from around the country and their enlisted advisors.
Video of the speech is available at www.war.gov/Multimedia/Videos. President Donald Trump’s address to the group is also available.
In introducing Hegseth, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the gathering the “first-ever key leaders all call.”
Hegseth said the same physical fitness and combat training standards will apply to both genders, be it for the combat fitness test or weapons qualification.
Every active-duty service member will be required to exercise vigorously every duty day and take two physical fitness tests annually, he said.
In a memorandum Hegseth signed Tuesday, “Military Fitness Standards,” he wrote that National Guardsmen and Reservists will take personal responsibility to maintain an appropriate physical fitness regimen, regardless of duty status, and complete one fitness test annually, aligned with their combat or noncombat arms designation.
The Pentagon has posted the memo along with 10 others on new priorities or directives outlined in the speech.
Overweight troops and their leaders will no longer be tolerated, Hegseth said.
“It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon, leading commands around the country [and] in the world,” he said.
Hegseth also spoke about beards.
“If you want a beard, you can join Special Forces,” he said. “If not, then shave. We don’t have a military full of Nordic pagans.”
In another memo, “Grooming Standards for Facial Hair Implementation,” Hegseth wrote that all personnel must maintain a clean-shaven face consistent with the following:
- Sideburns will be above the ear opening.
- Beards, goatees, and other facial hair are prohibited unless specifically authorized.
- Mustaches are authorized but will be neatly trimmed; not to extend past the mouth corners or into a respirator seal zone.
Hegseth also said the War Department will focus on lethality and merit, not on political correctness and diversity.
“Real toxic leadership is endangering subordinates with low standards. Real toxic leadership is promoting people based on immutable characteristics or quotas instead of based on merit,” he said.
The zero-defect mentality in the culture must end, Hegseth said.
“Commanders and [noncommissioned officers] don’t take necessary risks or make tough adjustments for fear of rocking the boat or making mistakes. [A] blemish-free record is what peacetime leaders covet the most, [which] is the worst of all incentives,” he said.
The department will be overhauling the inspectors general, equal employment opportunity and military equal opportunity processes.
In a memorandum the secretary signed Tuesday, titled “Implementation of Military Equal Opportunity and Equal Employment Opportunity Reform Plan,” he listed three things these reforms must ensure:
- Complaints are promptly (within 30 days) addressed and dismissed if they lack actionable, credible evidence.
- Favorable personnel actions such as awards, promotions and retirements, involving alleged offenders are only withheld where a preliminary or subsequent investigation indicates that the complaint is likely to be substantiated.
- Those who knowingly submit false complaints and repeatedly submit frivolous complaints are held accountable, pursuant to applicable laws and regulations.
“No more frivolous complaints. No more anonymous complaints,” Hegseth said, adding that forgivable mistakes or minor infractions should not stain a service member’s record.
“People make honest mistakes, and our mistakes should not define an entire career,” he added. “Otherwise, we only try not to make mistakes, and that’s not the business we’re in. We need risk takers and aggressive leaders.”
While mistakes are forgivable, some things will not be tolerated, including hazing, bullying, racism and sexual harassment. Posting anonymously online to trash commanders, demoralize troops and undermine unit cohesion will also not be tolerated, Hegseth said.
—By John Goheen
