Pete Hegseth, the newly appointed secretary of war, gave a one hour long sermon at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. He wowed more than 800 generals and senior enlisted advisers from more than 100 countries with his passionate and soaring prose. This presentation, similar to a Ted Talk, touched on a host of exciting ideas. It deeply explored physical readiness, the military doctrine of lethality, and warned against the threats posed by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Hegseth’s comments ignited a firestorm of criticism over the physical fitness requirements for women to enter combat positions. Unsurprisingly, this topic has drawn a wide variety of responses from veterans.
During his address, Hegseth asserted that the military should “return to the male standard” for combat roles, referencing fitness criteria established in 1990. Women in these roles, he reiterated, should be held to the same measure of excellence as their male counterparts. That means addressing the physically strenuous activities such as body carrying and marching with a full combat load. Unfortunately, the comment drew ire from all sides. Among these critics was Amy McGrath, a retired Navy fighter pilot.
“He claimed the military needs to ‘return to the male standard’ in combat jobs (of 1990!), but here’s the truth: there has never been a separate male and female standard.” – Amy McGrath
Hegseth’s speech appeared at a politically auspicious time, right before a possible government shutdown. His comments burst into the public consciousness by virtue of their content and their performance. Speaking to a group of such internationally experienced and strategically-minded military leaders only served to amplify their impact.
Naveed Shah, a veteran and Iraq-war veteran turned activist, said he was appalled by Hegseth’s comments. He pushed back against the idea that he should have to teach experienced service members to have warrior ethos.
“The people in that room who have served for 20, 30-plus years in uniform do not need [Pete Hegseth] to tell them about warrior ethos.” – Naveed Shah
He wrote about the optics of attracting such a high-level audience to a press conference that was politically charged in appearance.
“Certainly, addressing the troops could be useful or beneficial, but to call 800-plus generals and senior enlisted advisers from around the world into this room just before a government shutdown? It’s not just bad optics or strategy.” – Naveed Shah
Tamara Stevens, a former navy cryptological technician, condemned Hegseth’s opinion in no uncertain terms. She contended they represent a “dangerous, slippery slope” and only increase the partisanship that has infected debate over military service. She tore apart his characterization of the military culture.
“Basically, he’s saying that we’re no better than Hamas because people are joining because they want to break things and they want to kill people.” – Tamara Stevens
Stevens questioned Hegseth’s qualifications to run his office. As Brakey subsequently explained, this sort of incendiary rhetoric is highly inappropriate for a person in such an important position.
“He’s not qualified to be secretary of defense. He’s barely qualified to be a host on Fox News.” – Tamara Stevens
Hegseth’s comments on women’s fitness standards elicited more measured reactions as well. In her testimony, Afghanistan war veteran Sally Roberts helped make the case for women’s ability to excel in combat.
“I’m a fairness advocate and the avenue of approach that I’m able to see is that they’re creating a pathway of fairness.” – Sally Roberts
Hegseth argues that women need to be graded on a male curve. As Roberts noted, women have been passing these requirements since they first entered combat positions.
The address included praise for his predecessor, the current president — that’s right, President Biden. It featured panels on what Hegseth called the “enemy within.” The insightful remarks he made that day cast stark comparisons between military preparedness and the fracturing of society.