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The Pentagon has asked commanders to nominate only the fittest service members with 'impeccable grooming' to attend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's State of the Force address later this month.
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Pentagon → see → address
Any soldier looking to attend the annual speech should meet certain 'physical standards,' Pentagon officials wrote in an email on Tuesday to Army commanders, which was obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
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which → look → Journal
That includes passing the Army's waist-to-height ratio, the Army fitness test and having 'impeccable grooming (no exception).'
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That → include → grooming
It also says candidates must be 'consistently rated as top performers with their formations,' have a 'clear record of integrity, discipline and selfless service,' 'demonstrate strong presence, clear communication and sound judgment under pressure' and 'serve as role models for their peers and subordinates.'
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candidates → say → peers
Candidates, who will also have the opportunity to work out with Hegseth, will then be selected based on 'demonstrated leadership quality and professional character.'
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who → have → quality
Other commands throughout the military received a similar message, officials said.
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officials → receive → message
The directive comes one year after Hegseth ordered the nation's top generals and admirals to gather for his speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he called for 'no more beardos' or 'fat generals.'
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he → come → beardos
He set out his vision at the address for troops and their commanding officers unencumbered by woke politics, DEI and 'dudes in dresses,' dropping four-letter expletives throughout his opening gambit.
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He → set → gambit
The Pentagon is asking commanders to nominate only the fittest servicemembers with 'impeccable grooming' to attend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's State of the Force address
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Pentagon → ask → address
Under the directive, soldiers looking to attend the speech must meet the Army's waist-to-height ratio, pass the Army fitness test and have 'impeccable grooming'
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soldiers → look → grooming
It comes one year after the nation's top generals and admirals to gather for his speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where Hegseth called for 'no more beardos' or 'fat generals'
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Hegseth → come → beardos
The Secretary of War said that there would be a male standard of fitness for all troops, stating that he was 'tired of seeing fat troops.'
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he → say → troops
Hegseth also said these new rules are 'not about preventing women from serving.
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rules → say → women
But he added that the physical standards needed to be gender neutral.
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standards → add → ?
'If women can make it, excellent, if they cannot — then so be it ... it will also mean that weak men won't qualify.
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men → make → it
Hegseth said standard training guidelines will be restored 'to what it should be — scary, tough, disciplined,' and one where drill sergeants 'can put their hands on recruits.
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sergeants → say → recruits
Many military officials were left aghast at the blunt speech.
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officials → leave → speech
'They spent tons of money to come here and talk about the direction of the department and "culture,"' a former Biden defense official said.
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official → spend → department
'We were already aware that they didn't want women in the military.
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they → want → military
Then, to add insult to injury, he told four-star generals they could quit if they didn't like what he was saying.
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he → add → what
I am not sure how this is going to land moving forward.
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this → go → ?
Hegseth focused his speech last year on the woke politics he believes undermined America's fighting force.
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he → focus → force
He is pictured with President Donald Trump in July
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He → picture → July
A former national security official also told the Daily Mail he found it absurd to see the military's highest ranking service men and women being forced to listen to Hegseth, who was only ever a junior ranking soldier before becoming a Fox TV host.
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who → tell → Hegseth
The ex-defense staffer said: 'I thought it was a highly inappropriate politicization of the US military is something which both Trump and Hegseth love to do.'
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Trump → say → which
'I am impressed by the self-control that so many members of the audience, our senior officers, our generals and admirals, had to sit there and listen with a straight face to a man who couldn't get promoted above major, trying to lecture these people about military standards.
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who → sit → standards
I cannot even imagine the thoughts of hundreds of military officers in the audience.'
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I → imagine → audience
The former official went even further, saying it was not only the 'wrong message' but the 'wrong messenger.'
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it → go → ?
Hegseth, though, has only doubled down on his standards for the military.
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Hegseth → double → military
Hegseth has doubled down on his standards for the US military.
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Hegseth → double → military
He is pictured hosting a fitness check with Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr. last year
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He → picture → Jr.
The Secretary of War announced a health initiative in July that introduced mandatory annual testosterone screenings for active-duty US service members aged 30 and older, framing it as a way to keep troops on the 'leading edge of lethality.'
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that → announce → lethality
He unveiled the policy in a video posted to his official X account with the caption 'The High–T Department of War.'
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He → unveil → War
In his speech, he described the initiative as a 'modern step' toward maximizing the biological readiness and long-term health of America's combat forces.
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he → describe → forces
A source close to Hegseth says the policy was a response to something called 'operator syndrome' – a complex, interrelated accumulation of physiological and psychological health issues – including endocrine disruption, chronic joint pain, traumatic brain injury, depression and more.
This syndrome is often experienced by special operations forces and long-serving combat veterans after years of deployments and chronic stress.
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syndrome → say → deployments
Under the directive, testosterone level assessments will be integrated into the military's standard annual periodic health assessments.
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assessments → integrate → assessments
Service members over the age of 30 will undergo mandatory testing, while those under 30 will have the option to request the screening voluntarily.
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those → undergo → screening
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
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