The US Department of Defense has ordered mandatory testosterone deficiency screening for all active-duty and reserve personnel aged 30 and above, saying the measure is intended to improve combat readiness and tackle what it calls “Operator Syndrome”.
The new requirement takes effect immediately and will become part of the Periodic Health Assessment for eligible service members. Personnel below the age of 30 will also be able to request the screening voluntarily, according to a directive announced by the Pentagon on Wednesday.
Pentagon ties hormone screening to military readiness
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had approved the enhanced screening protocol to “optimise performance, combat Operator Syndrome, and maximise mission readiness.”
Parnell said the initiative forms part of the Pentagon’s broader effort to maintain “a ready, lethal fighting force prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength.”
He said the screening programme would help establish a comprehensive health baseline while enabling targeted testosterone therapy where required.
According to Parnell, the initiative complements the Department’s “Warfighter Performance Optimisation – Total Force Fitness” programme and reflects continued investment in the health, resilience and peak performance of military personnel.
New policy takes effect immediately
A memorandum signed by Hegseth makes testosterone deficiency screening mandatory during the Periodic Health Assessment for active-duty and reserve personnel aged 30 years and above.
The directive also states that lessons learned from treating “Operator Syndrome” across the force, including targeted testosterone therapy, can directly improve warfighter readiness.
The Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness has been directed to revise departmental policy by August 15 to incorporate the new screening requirement into existing health assessment guidelines.
The Military Departments and the Defence Health Agency have also been instructed to update internal policies, align implementation procedures and educate medical staff and service members about the new protocol.
The Assistant Secretary of War for Health Affairs will oversee the availability of testing across the Military Health System, issue additional clinical guidance and establish an advisory council of external experts to support the Department’s Health and Human Performance Optimisation effort.
Builds on Pentagon’s broader fitness initiative
The latest directive expands on Hegseth’s May memorandum introducing the Pentagon’s “Warfighter Performance Optimisation – Total Force Fitness” initiative.
That memorandum said the military should treat every 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 wider use of data analytics, wearable technologies and cognitive performance measures to strengthen readiness across the force.