Military fitness standards met with some praise — and some pushback

(NewsNation) — The Trump administration is seeking to reshape the military by changing standards for fitness and grooming.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth first announced the change during a speech speech he gave to top military officials at Quantico on Tuesday. The Pentagon is now ordering all service members to undergo two fitness tests per year with everyone expected to meet "the male standard."

One of the tests will be a standard service fitness test. Service members in combat roles will take a combat field test, while those in noncombat roles will complete a combat readiness test. There are also height and weight standards, along with a new requirement to be clean-shaven.

Retired Maj. Gen. Francis McGinn, president of the National Guard Association, told NewsNation he doesn't believe much will change with the on-the-ground fitness test, but said there could be a shift in how Hegseth is emphasizing fitness in his messaging.

"Fitness standards have always been there to be honest, I think he [Hegseth] is accentuating it and putting a priority on it," McGinn said. "It's probably long overdue."

Others have raised concerns, however. Sue Fulton, an Army veteran and executive director of the Women in the Service Coalition, said service members are already meeting rigorous fitness standards.

"His focus on beard and 'fatties' is about appearance over performance, and it's going to weaken our military," Fulton said. "He's replacing competence, character and commitment with appearance and acquiescence."

Fulton added she believes that the goal is to drive women out of service, and specifically out of combat service. Hegseth did say in his speech that the point of these changes is not to exclude women, but that if this means there are less women in the armed forces, then "so be it."

Another concern with the new standards is how they will affect military recruitment and retention. The Trump administration has touted its high recruitment numbers in recent months. Fulton, however, believes there will be issues going forward with recruitment and retention in the near future.

She argues the shift in leadership’s focus could be driving people out. McGinn, on the other hand, said he believes it will affect recruitment but could hurt retention as well, noting that the standards might be difficult to meet for those who struggle.