Trump Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth Sets Unified Combat Standards for Men, Women.

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PULSE POINTS:

What Happened: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced a new single standard policy for combat roles, ensuring uniformity for both men and women.

👥 Who’s Involved: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA).

📍 Where & When: Announcement made on social media on March 31, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “We need to have the same standard, male or female, in our combat roles to ensure our men and women who are under our leaders or in those formations have the best possible leaders and the highest possible standards.”

⚠ Impact: The policy aims to eliminate gender-based standards that are set lower for women, affecting current military training and readiness evaluations and influencing military leadership and combat readiness.

IN FULL:

In a video shared on social media on Monday morning, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed a new policy mandating a single standard for combat roles for both men and women. This announcement fulfills a pledge he made during his Senate confirmation to establish uniform combat readiness criteria.

Hegseth addressed the need for change, noting that previous standards allowed for discrepancies between male and female service members. “For far too long, we allowed standards to slip and different standards for men and women in combat arms [Military Occupational Specialties] and jobs. That’s not acceptable,” he stated in the video.

The Defense Secretary continued: “We need to have the same standard, male or female, in our combat roles to ensure our men and women who are under our leaders or in those formations have the best possible leaders and the highest possible standards that are not based at all on your sex if you’re a man or a woman.”

Before assuming his role as Defense Secretary, Hegseth had voiced opposition to women in combat roles. However, during the confirmation process, he revised his stance, supporting a single standard approach. This change secured the support of key legislators, including Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), who sees the new standard as a step towards creating a more effective military force.

Ernst, a member of the Armed Services Committee, pledged her collaboration with Hegseth to maintain high standards while expanding opportunities for women in combat. She also emphasized the importance of addressing and preventing sexual assault within the military.

The post Trump Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth Sets Unified Combat Standards for Men, Women. appeared first on The National Pulse.



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