Central Texas veterans react to Secretary of War Hegseth’s bid to ‘raise’ combat requirements to ‘male standards’

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called hundreds of generals and admirals from duty stations around the world to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia to announce there would be new directives to ensure the requirement for every combat position “returns to the highest male standard.”

Hegseth said that “if that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it.”

“From this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: war fighting,” the war secretary told the military leaders.

“Preparing for war and preparing to win. Unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit,” he added.

Hegseth also said it was “tiring to see fat troops and generals” in combat formations.

The historic nature of the gathering was not lost on those who served, like retired Navy veteran David Paredes and retired Army veteran Augustine Flores.

KWTX asked Paredes and Flores how they feel about bringing so many of our top military leaders into one location like that.

“Personally, I think that’s kind of dangerous but if that’s the way he wants to get his message across,” said Augustine Flores, retired Army veteran and Commander of VFW Post 9192. “I think it was a waste of time bringing that many high-ranking officers to one place.”

In his speech, Hegseth announced major changes to standards such as higher fitness standards for women serving in combat roles.

“Today, at my direction, each service will ensure that every requirement for every combat MOS, for every designated combat arms position, returns to the highest male standard only,” said Hegseth.

Paredes and Flores both agree the standards for combat roles do need to be raised.

“No, they need to have the same standards because when you’re in the military, you can be put in any position at any time,” said Paredes, the senior vice commander of VFW Post 9192.

“You know how the warrior ethos says, ‘never leave a fallen comrade behind,’ right?” asked Flores. “How are you going to do that? If I can’t drag him out of the way or if he can’t drag me, then we fail. I don’t care if they are male or female.”

Paredes served in the Navy from 1976 to 1995 and Flores served in the Army from 1985 to 2010.

Both acknowledge that these changes are coming but don’t affect the service they have already completed.

“We will do everything we can to support veterans,” said Flores. “I got it, things are changing over there but we’re on the sidelines now. All we can do is watch.”

Both Paredes and Flores served in combat roles in a time when standards were much higher than in recent years.

They said that no matter the branch, service members are trained to adapt to changes and this time is no different.

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