00:00Fat generals and overweight chair-born rangers are a bad look for the U.S. military,
00:05and we don't want them anymore. That's the message from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete
00:09Hegseth to the nation's top brass. We now know why every active duty general and admiral in the
00:18United States military was ordered to attend a presentation by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete
00:24Hegseth. It was not to sign a loyalty pledge like internet comment sections would have you believe,
00:30or prepare for war with China or Russia, but to outline the sect F's new vision for the Pentagon,
00:36one where the warrior's ethos can be unchained, where beardos and overweight officers are no longer
00:44welcome. Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations or really any formation and see fat
00:51troops. Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the
00:56Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It's a bad look. It is bad and it's
01:02not who we are. So whether you're an airborne ranger or a chair-born ranger, a brand new private
01:08or a four-star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your PT test.
01:13The height and weight standards to serve in the U.S. military, as well as the physical fitness tests
01:18a service member must pass each year, are a little different for each branch. For the most part though,
01:25if you signed up to be a sailor, soldier, marine, airman, guardian, or guardsman before the sect F's
01:31new standards kick in, you needed to be at least 4'10", but not taller than 6'8". Your weight depended on
01:41your height, but most branches said men with a BMI over 26% were too heavy, women with a 36% BMI were
01:51considered overweight. The Marine Corps is a little stricter when it comes to BMI. But the Secretary of
01:57Defense said there would be one gender-neutral standard moving forward for each branch, based on
02:03the current male standards. It's not clear yet how certain exemptions may be handled. For instance,
02:10the Navy and Army have policies that say if a sailor or soldier passes their PT tests with high enough
02:17marks, they don't necessarily need to meet the body fat standards. When officers turn 60 in the Army,
02:24they don't need to take the Army fitness test every year, but they still must maintain a doctor-approved
02:30fitness program and meet the height-weight standards. And in certain cases, a service member
02:37might be given a medical exemption for the height and weight requirements. When it comes to annual
02:42physical fitness tests, again, each branch does things a little differently. In the Army, the
02:48largest U.S. service branch, the fitness test includes a strength deadlift, standing power throw,
02:55push-ups, a sprint-drag-carry exercise, where the candidate runs through an obstacle course while also
03:01dragging and carrying heavy items to simulate movement on the battlefield. The Army PT test
03:08also includes a plank for as long as you can portion and a two-mile run. All of this is expected
03:15to be completed in one 50-minute session. A soldier would get a passing grade if they could deadlift around
03:22220 pounds three times, throw a 10-pound ball 25 feet, do about 35 push-ups, complete the sprint-drag-carry
03:32exercise in about two minutes, then plank for three minutes, and run two miles in about 16 minutes.
03:40If they do more reps or throw the ball further or run faster, their grade goes up. If they do worse in
03:47those tests, they don't pass. Planking replaced sit-ups in most military fitness tests. Each of
03:54the other U.S. service branches also have some sort of push-up and or pull-up requirement,
04:00as well as a cardiovascular test involving running, swimming, even cycling. But each metric is adjusted
04:07based on the individual's height, weight, age, and up until now, gender. Depending on the job the
04:14service member performs, there may be different standards as well. For instance, elite combat
04:20units like Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces already maintain gender-neutral standards, which are higher
04:28than the standards a radar operator might have to meet. Under the Hegseth policy shift, though,
04:34all branches will maintain gender-neutral standards regardless of the job performed.
04:40We very much value the impact of female troops. Our female officers and NCOs are the absolute best in
04:48the world. But when it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, those physical
04:56standards must be high and gender-neutral. If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is.
05:04If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be
05:12the result, so be it. In addition to outlining his vision for the US military in terms of physical
05:18fitness, Hegseth also said members of the US military are expected to be clean-shaven, saying the
05:24era of unprofessional appearance is over. For more reporting like this, download the Straight Arrow
05:30News App today.
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