The Pentagon has reassigned its independent review of women in ground combat from the Institute for Defense Analyses to Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and extended the timeline from roughly six months to about a year. Officials said the change was made to add combat-relevant field tests and unify personnel and operational data collection. The move comes amid scrutiny of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after his comments opposing women in combat and his recent removal of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.
Pentagon Reassigns Review Of Women In Ground Combat To Johns Hopkins, Extends Timeline Amid Hegseth Scrutiny
Kevin Lamarque / REUTERS(Kevin Lamarque)
The Pentagon has reassigned its independent review of women serving in ground combat roles to the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) and extended the timeline for the study, officials confirmed in April.
The review, announced in January, was originally slated to be completed in six months and led by the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA). The Department of Defense says the effort now requires combat-relevant field testing and a unified approach to personnel and operational data, prompting the change in contractor and the extension of the deadline to roughly a year from this month, with JHU/APL engagement effective April 2026.
Why the Change?
A Pentagon official told Military Times that the scope of work was re-evaluated after the review began. The Department decided the independent assessment must include field tests based on established tasks, conditions, and standards to generate the comprehensive data necessary to inform policy and readiness decisions.
"The Department has since recognized the need to incorporate combat-relevant field tests, based on established tasks, conditions, and standards, into the independent review to produce the comprehensive data required for this effort," the official said.
The official added that "JHU/APL, a University Affiliated Research Center, has the capability to examine existing personnel and operational data, as well as conduct the field tests, ensuring a unified effort that will further posture our warfighters to meet mission objectives." The review will seek to "identify the dominant drivers of combat performance variance in ground combat units and provide evidence-based findings to inform force design, training, physical standards, and readiness decisions."
Hegseth once claimed that women shouldn't be serving in combat roles—an opinion he later reversed course on during his confirmation hearings. / Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS
Questions Remain
The Pentagon did not immediately provide additional details to the Daily Beast about how much of the review had already been completed under IDA or the specific reasons for the reassignment beyond the need for expanded field testing. The Daily Beast has reached out to both IDA and JHU/APL for comment.
Political Context
The reassignment comes amid controversy surrounding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said on a November 2024 podcast that women should not serve in combat roles but later told senators at his confirmation hearing that women would be allowed to serve if they meet the same standards as men.
Hegseth has also faced criticism after removing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George following a dispute over a promotion list. Reporting by The New York Times said Gen. George and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resisted Hegseth's request to remove two Black and two female officers from that list, prompting questions among some senior officials about the rationale for the removals. Separately, Hegseth has pushed to curtail some Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives within the Defense Department.
Observers say the reassignment and the extended timeline raise questions about the review's scope, timing, and motivations, and underscore the political sensitivity of evaluating gender integration and combat effectiveness within the U.S. military.
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