This Week in DOD: Common Sense Combat Arms Standards, No Halt on Hammering Houthis, Navy's Midshipmen Impress Heck Out of Former Soldier

View Online This Week in DOD: Common Sense Combat Arms Standards, No Halt on Hammering Houthis, Navy's Midshipmen Impress Heck Out of Former Soldier April 4, 2025 | By C. Todd Lopez Last month, the Defense Department announced it had conducted a series of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen in response to ongoing Houthi attacks on U.S. military and commercial shipping vessels in the region.  At the time, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said the U.S. would continue to use "overwhelming, lethal force" against terrorist Houthi targets until the U.S. achieved its goals.  This week, Parnell confirmed that those strikes will continue — with the blessing of President Donald J. Trump.  "The commander-in-chief, President Trump, made clear to the world that the attacks against the Houthis will continue until they are no longer a threat to freedom of navigation," Parnell said today during the Weekly Sitrep video, which highlights department activities weekly.  Trump made clear his intentions for bringing the Houthis to heel on social media March 31, 2025.  "The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists have been decimated by the relentless strikes over the past two weeks," Trump said. "Our attacks will continue until they are no longer a threat to freedom of navigation. The choice for the Houthis is clear: stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran."  Also this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out efforts to provide common standards for entry into combat arms career fields across the American military, Parnell said.  "Secretary Hegseth signed a memo to implement the same standards for men and women in combat roles," Parnell said. "Our standards at the DOD will be high, they'll be uniform, they'll be uncompromising, and they will be clear because this is common sense."  In that memorandum, Hegseth asked the military service branches to identify the combat arms and noncombat arms occupations within their respective services and develop sex-neutral, mission-focused physical fitness standards for those combat arms roles to ensure all service members can meet the physical demands of a combat environment.  "This initiative aligns with my broader directive to maintain uncompromising and clear standards that ensure the continued dominance of our military," Hegseth said.  The secretary also took a trip to Annapolis, Maryland, April 1, 2025, to visit with the midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy who are training to be future Navy and Marine Corps leaders. Parnell said Hegseth, once an Army officer, was impressed with what he saw at the academy.  "You should have seen how he was received there. It was amazing. The future of our naval and expeditionary forces is strong," Parnell said.  At the academy's King Hall, Hegseth told midshipmen that American security and deterrence were on their shoulders.  "When deterrence fails, other people take opportunity inside that space," Hegseth said. "In the years previous, we've had situations that have created the perception ... of American weakness.  "Reestablishing deterrence is about declaring what you stand for ... and then you're willing to enforce it," he said. "You are the faces of American deterrence."  Parnell said on Capitol Hill this week that Trump's nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff demonstrated his suitability for the role during a confirmation hearing with senators.  "Air Force lieutenant general and nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan 'Razin' Caine, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee this week," Parnell said. "Lt. Gen. Caine was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate, and he will make a fantastic chairman."  During more than two hours of testimony, Caine provided the senators with examples to demonstrate his firm grasp of the security threats facing the U.S. and how he is the leader the joint force needs.  "Our adversaries are advancing, global nuclear threats are on the rise and deterrence is paramount," Caine said. "Our national defense requires urgent action and reform across the board. We must go faster. We must move with a sense of urgency. We can never forget that our No. 1 job is to create peace through overwhelming strength and, if need be, fight and win our nation's wars."  Also this week, the Defense Department took a moment to remember four soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, who initially went missing during a training mission in Lithuania. They were later found to be deceased and recovered.  "We will never forget these four heroes — and our prayers are with their entire families and the entire 3rd ID," Parnell said.  Those four soldiers include Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam; Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan.

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