'None of Us Have Ever Asked for Special Treatment': Female Veterans Respond to Hegseth's Combat Standards Remarks

Sun Oct 19 2025 23:47:54 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Female veterans firmly rebut Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's claim that military combat standards are being lowered to accommodate women, asserting that they have always maintained the same rigorous standards as their male counterparts.

In a strong response to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's assertion that combat standards will revert to a higher male standard, female veterans emphasized that the standards have always been equal for both genders. Elisa Cardnell and Amy McGarth, both veterans, highlighted that combat roles are already assessed on a gender-neutral basis, clarifying that performance in combat should be the sole criterion for qualification. The response comes amidst broader controversies surrounding military inclusivity and standards.

Women who served in the US military are pushing back against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement that the requirements for combat roles will return to the highest male standard, saying the standards have always been the same for men and women.

None of us have ever asked for special treatment, Elisa Cardnell, who served in the US Navy for eleven years, told the BBC.

Speaking to hundreds of generals on Tuesday, Hegseth reiterated his beliefs that the military had lowered standards to accommodate women and put service members at risk. His new directives would bring them back to a higher level, he said.

If it means no women qualify for combat jobs, then so be it, he said.

He maintained that women would not be excluded from the armed forces outright.

Some female veterans were outraged.

I am sick and tired of Pete Hegseth lying about women in the military and standards, former US Marine fighter pilot Amy McGarth said in a video on Instagram.

Ms Cardnell, too, said gender and age were not part of assessments given for combat roles, asserting that standards in these roles are already set high and equally applicable to all.

This debate amplifies existing tensions regarding military standards and the position of women in combat roles, as veterans express apprehensions about potential shifts in a culture that has only recently begun to recognize their contributions on equal footing.