(The Hill) The U.S. military will impose the “highest male standard” for all combat roles in each service branch, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced during his Tuesday morning speech to hundreds of generals and admirals at Quantico, Virginia.

“At my direction, each service will ensure that every requirement for every combat MOS [military occupational specialty], for every designated combat arms position, returns to the highest male standard only, because this job is life or death, standards must be met, and not just met at every level, we should seek to exceed the standard, to push the envelope, to compete,” Hegseth told the attendees at the event. 

“It’s common sense and core to who we are and what we do. It should be in our DNA,” he added. 

While the move does not directly call for fewer women to serve in combat roles, Hegseth acknowledged that likely could happen.

“If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is,” the secretary said. “It will also mean that weak men won’t qualify because we’re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death.”

Service branches have their own fitness tests that they require their respective members to take.

The Army Fitness Test is a five-event assessment, which includes three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, planking and a two-mile run.

Active-duty soldiers in 21 designated combat specialties will need to score a minimum of 350 points total, with at least 60 points in each event. The scoring chart for the Army’s test currently awards points based on different designated standards for men/combat members and for women.

For example, for servicemembers ages 17-21, in the maximum deadlift category, men and combat members must lift 150 pounds to get 60 points, 220 pounds to get 75 points, and 340 pounds to get 100 points. In the same category, for the same age, women must lift 120 pounds for 60 points, 140 pounds for 75 points, and 220 pounds for 100 points.

The Air Force rolled out its new Physical Fitness Assessment last week. The test includes a 100-point scoring system across four categories: cardiorespiratory (50 points); waist-to-height ratio (20 points); muscle strength (15 points); muscle core endurance (15 points).

The muscle-strength test includes various exercises, including push-ups in 1 minute, hand-release push-ups in 2 minutes, sit-ups in 1 minute, cross-leg reverse crunches in 2 minutes and a timed forearm plank.

A perfect 15-point score for men under 25 years old in the 1-minute push-up category is awarded to those who do 67 or more pushups; a 12-point score is awarded to those who do 47 pushups; 9 points are awarded for 37 pushups, and 3 points are awarded for 31 pushups. Men have to do at least 30 pushups to pass

For women under 25, the same category has traditionally awarded them 15 points for 47 or more pushups; 12 points for 28 pushups; 9 points for 21 pushups, and 3 points for 16 pushups. In the past, women had to do 15 pushups at a minimum to pass. Under Hegseth’s new order, that is expected to be doubled.

The Navy’s Physical Fitness Assessment consists of four components: height and weight verification, planks, 2-minute push-ups and a 1.5-mile run.

For men ages 17-19, for example, sailors are expected to complete 46 pushups in two minutes, while women in the same age range have been expected to complete 20 pushups in 2 minutes.

The 1.5-mile run minimum also has historically had different minimum times: 12:15 for men ages 17-19 and 14:45 for women of that age.

The Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test includes three parts: pull-ups or push-ups, plank pose, and a three-mile timed run.

Men and women here have also had different standards in the past. For example, men have had to complete the run in 28 minutes, while women have had 31 minutes to complete the run.