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Women who served in the US military are pushing back against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth's statement that requirements for combat roles will "revert to the highest men's benchmark," stating the criteria have historically been the equal for all personnel.

"None of us have at any point asked for special treatment," Elisa Cardnell, who served for half a decade, explained the media.

Addressing hundreds of generals on Tuesday, Hegseth repeated his beliefs that the armed forces had reduced requirements to accommodate female personnel and placed service members at risk. His recent orders would restore them to a higher level, he said.

"Should it result in no women meet the criteria for combat jobs, then so be it," he commented.

He maintained that women would not be barred from the military outright.

Several female veterans were angered.

"I am fed up of Pete Hegseth lying about female service members and standards," former US Marine fighter pilot Amy McGarth declared in a video.

"It has consistently been a single benchmark for those jobs," she continued. "There was never a man's standard or a woman's standard for operating an aircraft."

Ms Cardnell, too, said that sex and years were not included in assessments given for combat roles.

Military requirements are set differently depending on the unit a person is assigned to, whether they are in elite units, infantry, armour or rescue teams, she noted. However, all personnel in those roles have to successfully complete the same test.

"These requirements have always been unbiased, and they have historically been established at a high standard," she remarked. "Of course, not all women are going to meet them, but some males do either."

That differs from the identical for the yearly fitness assessments given to all service members, which comprise standard drills like push-ups. In those cases, the standards and scores differ based on years and sex, and the tests differ by unit.

Ms Cardnell said it remains unclear if Hegseth will actually implement sweeping changes to how service members are evaluated.

In his speech, Hegseth stated: "Any place that proven physical standards were altered, especially since recent years, when military standards were adjusted to allow females could meet criteria, must be restored to their initial level."

He appeared to refer to a directive in that year by the former Pentagon chief Ash Carter that every armed forces position be available for female personnel and that every individual, irrespective of sex, who meets the standards should be able to serve.

"When it comes to every position that demands strength to perform in battle, those physical standards must be rigorous and gender neutral," Hegseth said. "If women can make it, outstanding. Otherwise, it is what it is."

Broadly, Hegseth explained he was changing requirements across the armed forces to "address decades of decay" and that the armed forces have "promoted an excess of uniformed leaders for the incorrect motives," like race, gender and "historic so-called firsts."

Lawmaker Tammy Duckworth, an Army veteran who was critically wounded while serving as a combat pilot in the Middle East, commented to media outlets after the address: "For a guy who's unfit for his position, it's pretty discriminatory to discuss women who are eligible to perform their duties."

She noted that his remarks could hurt recruitment.

Female personnel in the US military were initially permitted to fly combat aircraft in the air and sea branches in 1993, though they were barred from ground combat. That changed in recent years when the restriction on female combat roles was removed and by 2016 military positions were open to everyone.

Because of how not long ago females were integrated in all ranks, numerous are now still in the middle of their careers, Ms Cardnell explained.

"It takes time to observe females break that brass ceiling, and we haven't had a chance to see that," she remarked.

Currently serving and former women in the military are concerned that Hegseth is creating a military culture where female personnel will be undermined and unable to advance, she commented.

"Leadership sets the tone," she noted.

Some women in uniform opposed Hegseth's comments.

GOP lawmaker Sheri Biggs, who was enlisted as a lieutenant colonel in the reserve unit, said in a statement that she supported the defence secretary's initiatives to end "progressive" policies from the military.

"Returning to standards that emphasize excellence and accountability places America's security and our troops where they belong — foremost," Biggs said.

A further GOP representative, Representative Nancy Mace, who graduated from The Citadel military college, posted on social media in support of Hegseth.

"Adversaries are not intimidated by diversity quotas. They dread US military strength," she said.