The new military health program will add mandatory testosterone deficiency testing to annual assessments for older active-duty personnel, while testing for younger troops and any recommended treatment will remain voluntary.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that active-duty U.S. military personnel age 30 and older will undergo annual screening for testosterone deficiency as part of their periodic health assessments.
Service members younger than 30 will be allowed to request the testing voluntarily.
Hegseth said the program is intended to identify health problems that could affect physical performance, psychological readiness, resilience and long-term well-being. Although testing will be mandatory for personnel in the older age group, any treatment recommended after a deficiency is detected—including testosterone replacement therapy—will remain optional.
The secretary presented the policy as an investment in the individual service member, whom he described as the military’s most important tactical advantage despite the government’s extensive spending on weapons, platforms and equipment.
“At the Department of War, we have the most elite warriors on the face of the Earth,” Hegseth said in a video announcing the screening initiative. “Every single day, you are pushed to your absolute physical and mental limits to master the profession of arms. We demand your all, and you give it.”
Hegseth said maintaining military readiness requires the department to devote the same attention to personnel health that it gives to military hardware.
“But while we invest heavily in our weapon systems, platforms, and gear, our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter,” he said. “We have a sacred duty to maintain that advantage, which is why we must constantly look for new ways to optimize your performance, your resilience, and your long-term health.”
The new testing will be incorporated into the periodic health assessment already completed annually by service members, rather than requiring a separate medical appointment or examination.
“And to meet that commitment, today I’m authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members, ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best,” Hegseth said. “Because it’s well-established science that, as we age, testosterone levels often naturally drop.”
“Under the supervision of our world-class medical professionals, warfighters age 30 and older are going to be tested annually as part of their periodic health assessment,” he continued. “It’s a health assessment that happens every year—we’re just adding this test. Those under 30 can voluntarily choose to get the test as well.”
The department did not describe the screening as a performance-enhancement program. Hegseth said its purpose is to detect deficiencies and give service members the option to restore normal hormone levels under medical supervision.
“If treatment is recommended, it’s entirely your choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy,” he said. “This initiative is not about artificial enhancement. It’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight.”
The policy distinguishes between required screening and voluntary medical treatment. Personnel 30 and older must undergo the annual test, but they will not be required to begin testosterone replacement therapy or another intervention if a deficiency is identified.
Hegseth said the initiative is also intended to benefit troops after they leave military service by detecting and addressing health concerns before they become more serious.
“We owe our warriors the absolute best medical care in the world, and this program delivers on that obligation,” he said. “Taking care of your long-term health means ensuring you remain strong, resilient, and capable—not just for your next deployment, but for the rest of your life, so you can thrive long after you take off the uniform.”
The secretary tied hormone screening to the physical and mental demands of modern combat, arguing that early attention to health indicators can support operational effectiveness.
“As we know, the modern battlefield is brutal and unrelenting,” Hegseth said. “It requires and demands maximum psychological and mental readiness. And by addressing these health markers early, we’re keeping you on the leading edge of lethality and giving you the same level of support that you give this nation—the absolute best.”
“Godspeed. Keep going. And God bless,” he concluded.
The announcement is consistent with Hegseth’s broader campaign to restore what he has repeatedly called the military’s “warrior ethos.”
Under the Trump administration, defense leaders have emphasized combat readiness, recruiting, physical fitness and mental preparedness while moving the armed forces away from diversity programs and other social initiatives associated with the Biden administration.
The annual testosterone screenings add a new health measurement to that readiness effort, with the department presenting early detection and voluntary treatment as tools for maintaining strength, resilience and long-term service member health.
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