The Pentagon issued several memos this week that impose strict fitness and grooming standards, lessen education requirements and upend the Defense Department’s processes for reporting discrimination and fraud, waste and abuse.

“It all starts with physical fitness and appearance,” Hegseth told hundreds of military leaders during a rare gathering of top brass at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Tuesday. “Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops.”

According to one memo with the subject line “Military Fitness Standards” released Tuesday, active-duty troops are now required to take two annual fitness tests, in addition to working out every duty day.

The first test requirement is the existing service fitness test. The second will be eit

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