Late to the game on this one. When the secretary of defense doesn't meet the standards what a weak ass.

Old guy dyslexic bad punctuation ramble I’m just disgusted by it all as you are.
FYI Pete i never ran into a fat trooper in my three years six months as a grunt. The physical conditioning we would do daily five to six days week as in P.T. All of us were in shape exceeding some professional athletes.
The usual routine and always the four count push ups or sit ups. My vet friends will remember the extend to the left and side straddle hop jumping jacks that always made me smile.

Then fall in because you’re gonna run in formation anywhere from two to five miles. And at times we’d do those runs with our weapons called circuit runs.

As in you run drop do push ups run some more drop and do sit ups. And if your C.O. is in the mood leading the run well then you may find your scrawny yet in shape self as your fellow platoon brothers. Closing out that five mile run with a trip through the obstacle course at times even with your weapons.

The grooming standards that will be introduced is 100% racism aimed at our black troopers. I knew several fine soldiers that had shaving profiles it did not make any difference in their performance.

One bro that i remember fondly E-5 in rank who had a shaving profile was wicked accurate with a M-203 no leaf sight needed to put out indirect with him. And the trooper I’m referring to also made the Ranger course he earned his Ranger tab unlike our secretary of defense .
And that young black sergeant with a shaving profile along with our other N.C.O.,s during on duty and off duty time.
Helped me then a young E-2 prepare for the army E.I.B. program with land navigation as i really lacked skills in.
Those N.C.O.,s professional warriors in my three different rifle platoons i served in many had tours from Vietnam almost all had Ranger tabs and some not many had S.F. Special Forces tabs.
And every officer i served with was Ranger qualified they had to in order to hold any command in the infantry. My one platoon leader a second lieutenant was mortars in Vietnam as enlisted got out then re- enlisted and he made Ranger school in 1985 in his thirties and that’s a young soldiers school.

I’m pointing out Pete was infantry officer and never attended Ranger school and today we have female troopers that have become Ranger and Special Forces qualified.
And to have a Trump and Pete stand on that stage a draft dodger and a guy who had to say he will manage his drinking problem to be secretary of defense both accused of sexual assault .

And to give speeches on weight standards or how now we will be warriors. And saying outright that will use our cities to train our military to fight the enemy within. I’m thinking as you all this isn’t going to end well we already knew this.

Especially in that we have spineless cowards in a republican controlled Congress. Yet the arrogance to speak to a room full of men and women who made their bones leading troopers in many different jobs wether in support or on the ground into Fallujah or the Korengal valley as young officers.

And this woke bull shit that is again 100% aimed at our LGBTQ troops. I can say in my time we never worried about a soldier’s sexual orientation.
My time in military was not a defining moment in my life please understand I’m not bragging yet just so disgusted.

https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/security/2025/april/legionnaire-the-first-woman-to-compete-in-armys-best-ranger-competition

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V_mkQlNgcmU