The Pentagon is instructing military commanders to hand-select troops to attend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's upcoming "State of the Force" address based on strict physical fitness and grooming standards, according to internal emails obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
According to the Wall Street Journal, commanders were told candidates for the September 30 event must pass the Army's "waist-to-height" ratio test and physical fitness exam, along with maintaining what one email called "impeccable grooming and uniform standards (no exception)." Selected troops will also get the chance to work out alongside Hegseth himself. Similar directives reportedly went out across other military branches beyond the Army.
Beyond physical criteria, the Pentagon wants attendees who rank among the top performers in their units, demonstrate integrity and discipline, communicate clearly under pressure, and serve as role models for fellow service members. A Pentagon official declined to comment on the selection criteria.
The event follows Hegseth's controversial gathering of the nation's top generals and admirals last year at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he stunned senior officers by declaring the military would no longer tolerate what he called "beardos" or "fat generals." This time around, the invite list will expand to include lower-ranking officers and enlisted troops as well.
Hegseth has made physical readiness a defining priority since taking over the Pentagon, framing it as essential to military effectiveness in future conflicts. Critics argue the emphasis oversimplifies what makes a fighting force capable, and some have raised concerns about using service members as props to advance the administration's broader political messaging.
At last year's Quantico address, Hegseth framed his mission as reversing years of what he considers politically driven mismanagement inside the Pentagon.
"For too long, we have simply not done that. The military has been forced by foolish and reckless politicians to focus on the wrong things," Hegseth said. "In many ways, this speech is about fixing decades of decay, some of it obvious, some of it hidden."
Hegseth has faced controversy for his changes to physical fitness tests intended to reduce women's eligibility for service. He has also gone on a crusade to eliminate beards from the military.
