Trump's week in review: Tariffs impact stocks; USDA freezes Maine funding; military fitness questioned

1. Hegseth directs military to review physical fitness standards 

In a memorandum published Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the secretaries of the departments under his jurisdiction to “develop comprehensive plans to distinguish combat arms occupations from non-combat arms occupations.”

He asserted that “for certain combat arms roles, it is essential to identify which positions require heightened entry level and sustained physical fitness.”

“These roles, which are critical to our military’s mission success, demand exceptional physical capabilities, and the standards for them must reflect that rigor,” he added. “Standards for ground combat occupations should emphasize the ability to carry heavy loads, endure prolonged physical exertion, and perform effectively in austere, hostile environments. Service members in these roles must exhibit speed, strength, agility, and endurance to navigate the demands of combat situations.”

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As part of this effort to review physical fitness requirements, Hegseth mandated the implementation of “sex-neutral standards,” firmly stating that “the Secretaries of the Military Departments may not establish standards that would result in any existing Service member being held to a lower standard.”

Hegseth added, “All entry-level and sustained physical fitness requirements within combat arms positions must be sex-neutral, based solely on the operational demands of the occupation and the readiness needed to confront any adversary.” 

The memorandum follows Hegseth’s previous advocacy against women serving in military combat.

During an appearance on “The Shawn Ryan Show” podcast last November, Hegseth declared, “I’m straight up just saying that we should not have women in combat roles — it hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.” He expressed concern that “we’ve changed the standards in putting them there, which means you’ve changed the capability of that unit.”