Pentagon orders hormone tests for troops to address 'Operation Syndrome'
Washington, July 16
The Pentagon has ordered mandatory testosterone deficiency screening for all active-duty and reserve service members aged 30 and above as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to improve military readiness, optimise combat performance and address what it describes as "Operator Syndrome."
Announcing the new policy on Wednesday (local time), Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had directed an enhanced screening protocol "to optimise performance, combat Operator Syndrome, and maximise mission readiness."
"Effective immediately, all Active Duty and Reserve Component personnel aged 30 and older will undergo mandatory screening for testosterone deficiency during their Periodic Health Assessment," Parnell said. "Service members under the age of 30 may also request this screening during their PHA."
The Pentagon said the initiative is part of its effort to build and maintain "a ready, lethal fighting force prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength."
According to Parnell, the enhanced screening protocol complements the Department's "Warfighter Performance Optimisation - Total Force Fitness" programme and "represents a continued investment in the health, peak performance, and resilience of the force."
He said the protocol would allow the Department "to establish a comprehensive baseline and offer targeted testosterone therapy, ensuring that it sustains a healthy, capable, and decisively dominant fighting force."
A memorandum signed by Hegseth said the policy takes effect immediately and requires testosterone deficiency screening to become a mandatory element of the Periodic Health Assessment for personnel aged 30 and older. Service members below that age may request the screening voluntarily.
The directive also states that "applying lessons learned from treating Operator Syndrome across the Total Force, including targeted testosterone therapy directly optimises Warfighter readiness."
Under the order, the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness must update departmental policy by August 15 to incorporate the new requirement into existing health assessment guidance. The Military Departments and the Defence Health Agency have also been instructed to update subordinate policies, align internal procedures and educate medical personnel and service members on implementation.
The Assistant Secretary of War for Health Affairs will ensure testing is available throughout the Military Health System, issue additional clinical guidance and establish an advisory council of external experts to guide the Department's Health and Human Performance Optimisation effort.
The latest directive builds on Hegseth's May memorandum launching the Pentagon's "Warfighter Performance Optimisation - Total Force Fitness" initiative. That document said the military must treat the warfighter "as a readiness capability, held to the same disciplined evaluation, maintenance, and optimisation we demand of every asset that preserves combat power."
It also called for greater use of data analytics, wearable technologies and cognitive performance measures to improve readiness across the force.
— IANS
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