US Defense Secretary Hegseth Orders Testosterone Tests for Soldiers Aged 30 and Over

Military personnel under 30 may be tested on a voluntary basis. Hegseth justified the step partly by noting that testosterone levels often decline naturally with age. One must "ständig nach neuen Wegen suchen, um die Leistungsfähigkeit und langfristige Gesundheit der Soldaten zu optimieren" ("constantly seek new ways to optimize the performance and long-term health of soldiers"). The aim is for those affected to have "die richtigen Testosteronwerte" ("the correct testosterone values") in order to perform at their best.

If a testosterone deficiency is identified, treatment is to be recommended but not made mandatory. Hegseth simultaneously stressed that the measure has "nichts mit künstlicher Leistungssteigerung zu tun" ("nothing to do with artificial performance enhancement"). It serves exclusively medical prevention and long-term operational readiness.

Background: Criticism of US special forces

In his address, Hegseth referred to the "einzelnen Kämpfer" ("individual fighter") as the United States' most important tactical advantage. He described preserving this strength as a "heilige Pflicht" ("sacred duty"). In doing so, he linked the health-policy measure to a recurring theme of his tenure: a conservative notion of masculinity that he has regularly emphasized since taking office.

The background to the debate is the criticism that has been leveled in recent years — particularly against US special forces — over the use of testosterone and similar performance-enhancing substances. With the routine examination now presented, the Pentagon evidently intends to establish medically grounded, regular testing and thereby regulate the gray area between medical treatment and doping suspicion.

Statement from endocrinologists

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Endokrinologie (German Society for Endocrinology) points out that a testosterone deficiency can produce a range of symptoms. According to the society, these include sleep disturbances, listlessness, declining libido, weight gain, muscle weakness, and depressive moods. The professional society regards a diagnostic workup as fundamentally a meaningful medical step.

Hegseth has been driving far-reaching changes at the Defense Department since taking office. This includes the renaming: the US government now refers to the Department of Defense as the "Department of War" (Ministry of War). The testosterone tests are part of this broader reform agenda.

Part of a broader reform agenda

Overall, the move represents an intervention in the preventive health care of the armed forces, situated between early medical detection and performance optimization. The tests feed into existing routine examinations without introducing any new mandatory treatments — a compromise the Pentagon now intends to roll out further.

Reactions from Congress and from veterans' organizations are still pending. Observers interpret the measure as a signal that the Pentagon will henceforth view hormonal health more strongly as part of military operational readiness. At the same time, the debate over the boundaries between prevention and performance enhancement is likely to continue.