Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a comprehensive review of "military fitness, body composition and grooming" across all branches of the U.S. armed forces. The directive, announced on Wednesday, aims to assess recent changes in these standards and their impact on the effectiveness of the military.

The review will include standards for physical fitness, body composition and grooming, including beards, which are currently not allowed in the military, apart from some religious exemptions, according to a memo from Hegseth dated Wednesday. It will probe "why those standards changed and the impact of those changes," according to the memo.