The U.S. Marine Corps is about to get leaner, meaner, and more focused on what really matters—combat readiness, not political correctness.
According to Military.com, beginning January 1, 2026, the Marine Corps will overhaul its physical fitness and body composition standards with a focus on operational performance across the board, regardless of gender.
This initiative follows the Secretary of War’s memorandum from September 30, 2025, directing the Corps to update its standards in order to boost combat preparedness and implement gender-neutral benchmarks where appropriate.
Combat Standards Will No Longer Be Gender-Based
The Marine Corps is executing the changes through MARADMIN 613/25, released on December 18, 2025, with a clear eye toward updating physical expectations to reflect battlefield demands—not identity boxes.
For those in combat arms specialties—jobs that actually break a sweat under fire—there’s a big shift: scoring on the Physical Fitness Test will now be based on the male standard, regardless of gender, and a Marine must score at least 210 out of 300 points to pass. It’s a move that’s not only overdue but refreshingly grounded in the real-world needs of warfighting rather than the illusions of equity theater.
Non-Combat Marines Maintain Current Standards
Marines not in combat arms roles will continue using the current age- and sex-based PFT scoring system, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach where it isn’t operationally justified. Annual fitness tests will still take place in the first half of each year, from January through June, ensuring continuity even amid a major shift in standards. Interim administrative protocols will keep processes moving until full implementation, expected within the year, with full system updates projected within six to eight months.
Body Composition Overhaul Begins with Accuracy in Mind
The changes don’t stop with the PFT. The traditional height/weight and outdated “tape test” are being pushed aside in favor of a more modern method: the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR).
This metric, recommended by the Secretary of War, offers a clearer picture of actual health and performance risks. According to planned guidelines, a WHtR of under 0.5 is ideal; between 0.5 and 0.54 is considered low to moderate risk; above 0.55 may require further assessments.
Bioelectrical impedance analysis may also be used in some cases to help fine-tune evaluations, though official Marine-specific thresholds are still in development.
Cutting Through the Clutter on Fitness Metrics
During the transition, the Corps won’t ditch the old tape test entirely. Current methods will remain in place temporarily, while WHtR guidelines are phased in and refined for military use.
But the message couldn’t be clearer: new standards are coming, and they’re built for warriors, not wokeness.
“For Marines to be able to fight America’s wars and win, they need to be fit,” reads a timely reminder from the Secretary of War—a line that cuts through decades of bureaucratic fluff like a KA-BAR through paper.
Marines Urged to Prepare for a Tougher 2026
All Marine units are being encouraged to train accordingly to ease the transition and ensure no member falls behind in the switch to real-world performance assessments. There will be growing pains, sure—but for a Corps that prides itself on being the "first to fight," matching physical standards to battlefield realities seems not only right but necessary.
This isn’t about penalizing anyone; it’s about ensuring that every Marine walking into a combat zone has the strength, endurance, and readiness to walk out victorious.
