Watch out overweight American top brass!

No beards, no bellies, no women, no slackers. The US military and especially the 800 high-ranking generals and admirals, are all now on notice that sloveliness is out and fighting warrior stuff is in. Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defence for War, is fed up with seeing overweight generals wandering around the corridors of the Pentagon. He wants them to get fit, do 100 press-ups a day and stop sitting at their desks stuffing themselves with burgers. It's all good fun and his address to the family of generals and admirals at the US Marine Corps base at Quantico in Virginia yesterday was greeted with total silence. My God, inwardly they must have been seething, except for the fat ones of course. They would have been looking around guiltily in case anyone had noticed their bulging bellies. In my time I have met a lot of American generals and admirals and the majority looked pretty fit. In fact the best of them, people like General David Petraeus and General Stanley McChrystal, were and are so lean and fit that they could outrun and outpush-up most soldiers half their age. Some of those who reach the top echelons of the US military do get broader in the beam when they reach their 50s and 60s, especially if they have desk jobs. But from now on they will have to adopt a different lifestyle, a different diet, and join the joggers every morning. It's going to be fun to watch. Hegseth was enjoying himself, especially as he has taken on a rigid fitness regime and looks in good physical shape. His commander-in-chief, however, could definitely lose a few pounds. He may be able to play golf but I can't see him making more than two or three press-ups. As for women and beards, Hegseth basically doesn't want either of them in the armed forces. Beards he sees as somehow degenerate for military personnel (NB Vice President JD Vance has a beard, Mr Secretary for War), and he doesn't think women could ever be strong enough to fight in combat. He's wrong but women from now on will face an even tougher challenge to get into combat units. I wish them well, to prove Hegseth wrong. Meanwhile, generals and admirals with bellies, you have your marching orders. Get rid of the bellies or resign.