Idea that Military Should Be Physically Fit Assailed [semi-satire]

Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 5 October 2025 | John Semmens

[John Semmens]

Speeches by President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to America's top generals and admirals were assailed by anonymous ex-Pentagon employees. "What difference does it make if a general or admiral is too fat to pass any of the fitness requirements that front-line soldiers and sailors are expected to meet?" one source wanted to know. "They're not going to be storming enemy positions or flying combat missions. All they have to do is give orders."

Another fretted that "all the effort we've expended to compile a force that exemplifies diversity, equity, and inclusion is being cast aside. We're a diverse society. Why shouldn't folks of divergent abilities be participating in active combat or in the ranks of those giving the orders?"

Hegseth said "I think it is important that our military be a fearsome force. By weeding out the unfit we ensure our enemies that there are no weak spots for them to attack. The basic problem with the DEI emphasis we've seen over recent years is that lowering the fitness standards to accommodate weaker women lowers the average performance of combat units. Women who can't meet the fitness requirements expected of men have no place in combat units."

"Second, I think it is important that our military be seen as a serious organization," he added. "Individuals who are grossly overweight, men pretending to be women and wearing dresses detract from the seriousness of the organization. They project an image of confusion that undermines the deterrence function of our mission and makes actual warfare more likely."

Former Vice-President Kamala Harris asserted "this is a very wrong turn in the history of our nation. Modern warfare doesn't require that soldiers be strong or agile. Anyone can launch a missile or drone with the push of a button. Why should women and transgenders be denied this opportunity? Just because our adversaries might not be intimidated by this doesn't negate the right of these individuals to have equal opportunities to join our armed forces. If I had won the election I would have expanded the DEI program to include every type of individual. No one should be barred from pursuing their dream by artificial and unnecessary standards of the sort Trump and Hegseth want to impose on those who defend our nation."

[Ronald77]

Physical fitness saves lives, DEI takes lives.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

One notes that the article links to GOPBriefing Room where the site notes you are a "Hero Member ***** Posts: 31"

That site also asks for donations, as does Free Republic.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I don’t know how real any of those quotes are, but combat is stressful. (Duh!) Physical fitness supports endurance and mental acuity. Fat sedentary officers have no appreciation of the tasks they are undertaking or ordering others to undertake.

[ansel12]

I watched the females of a field MI unit trying to set up their giant girls tent (35 man tent?), eventually the males in their unit had to come over and do it for them, that was after the males were exhausted from laughing at the comic scene at first.

Support needs to be fit and strong also.

[airborne]

We had a guy in our unit (C 2/504 Abn Inf) that couldn’t physically keep up.

They transferred him to a non-combat unit in about a month.

This was in 1979.

[Savage Beast]

"They're not going to be storming enemy positions or flying combat missions. All they have to do is give orders."

Wrong! What a stupid comment!

"Why shouldn't folks of divergent abilities be participating in active combat or in the ranks of those giving the orders?"

They can. Nobody disagrees. They must rise to the standards established. If they can, fine.

These stupid remarks merely expose the level of stupidity of those who criticize Hegseth and Trump. The dangerous level of stupidity.

[proxy_user]

The military does many things that are not strictly necessary. They polish the brass, mop the floors, salute the officers.

This is done to maintain discipline and control It is a whole culture that comes in very handy in actual fighting.

[BikerJoe]

I’m all for the goal of being physically fit, but I don’t want to lose the best ones over this. Patton seemed to be in good shape, but MacArthur could’ve lost some pounds.

[Hootowl]

Harris is an idiot. During my 22 years of service in a noncombat role we understood that there might come a time when everyone would need to pick up a gun and become a warrior...and we trained for that.

[Telepathic Intruder]

I don't know about you, but one look at these guys, I mean, er, personnel, tells me my country is secure.

[wasmv80]

That 2nd photo appears to be: Sorting of captured German supplies?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

MacAuthur is probably not the best example. I can see age scaling, but officers should set an example, not an exception.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Is that 70-30 or 80-20?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I was in a Pershing Missile firing battalion in Germany in the 70’s. It was not a push button war. We would emplace for about 10 hours and move. We had to erect tents, antennas, and camoflague netting. It was difficult manual work. We had three women in the commo platoon. I thought we would shoot them if war broke out, they were worse than worthless, they were a burden. Most likely, we would have left them in Kaserne with some k-rations, wished them good luck in the event of war.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Google lens says that the photograph is French civilians helping American soldiers at an ammo dump in Normandy after the D-Day landings. It was published in Life magazine shortly after the invasion.

[Seaplaner]

Ironically, then President Trump had a Navy hospital ship with the capacity to house 500 to 1,000 patients sent to New York. Unfortunately, virtually no covid patients were sent to the ship by New York government officials. Mayor Bill de Blasio explained "I didn't think it would be good optics to let Trump be credited as some sort of savior for the ill. At the time the narrative we were working on was that Trump was too incompetent to deal with the pandemic."

Too unbelievable for satire, ergo it must be true (and should be news.)

Thanks, John, for another fine commentary, disguised as satire.

[EdgeOfDarkness]

Combat planning and leadership have a level of stress all it’s own, and those that are physically fit can do it for much longer. Look at the numbers of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam SR officers who were returned to the states because of severe medical problems brought on by stress.

Stress kills, and physically fit leaders fare better under continuous stress. The same applies to the corporate world, that is why many executives have mandatory exercise and lifestyle programs.

If you want to be a couch potato, you have no business in the military.

Yes, it’s harder as you age to stay fit; it requires discipline and dedication. We have lost that and this administration is trying to get it back.

Yeah!

[Reily]

I believe he was also on the older side of US Flag officers.
Didn’t he retire at one time and then got the appointment to head the Philippine Commonwealth military?

[Reily]

Both Frank Merrill of Merrill’s Marauders fame and Ted Roosevelt Jr died of heart attacks while serving in combat.