Hegseth requests only ‘impeccably groomed’ soldiers attend his speech | The IndependentSkip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.Subscribe`; document.body.appendChild(modal); modal.addEventListener('click', () => { document.cookie = 'mos-plan-select=; Max-Age=0; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC;'; }); modal.querySelector('.subscribe-link')?.addEventListener('click', (e) => { e.preventDefault(); document.cookie = 'mos-plan-select=; Max-Age=0; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC;'; setTimeout(() => { window.location.href = 'https://www.independent.co.uk/subscribe/app'; }, 500); });});]]>Joe SommerladThursday 17 September 2026 21:01 BSTMassie says Johnson sent House home to protect Hegseth from impeachment voteAn email from the Pentagon invited Army commanders to nominate top-performing soldiers to appear alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at his State of the Force address on September 30, The Wall Street Journal reported.Nominated soldiers must meet strict physical fitness, waist-to-height ratio, and grooming standards without exception and will participate in a workout with Hegseth.A Pentagon spokesperson stated that Hegseth expects service members to adhere strictly to professional standards of appearance, fitness, and discipline across all ranks.The initiative aligns with Hegseth's established history of enforcing rigid physical and grooming criteria, including widespread bans on beards and long hair.The report comes as Representative Thomas Massie introduced a resolution to impeach Hegseth, alleging abuse of power and high crimes.In fullPentagon demands only fittest and most ‘impeccably’ groomed troops attend Hegseth speech: reportMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in