The Defense Department on Monday announced that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior Pentagon leadership to carefully review the medical standards for military service, stating that certain conditions could endanger other service members.

The order comes after some members of the military community have expressed concerns about the physical and mental fitness of U.S. troops, should the U.S. be drawn into a war or major conflict, including concerns about current medical waivers.

Waivers are currently allowed for issues like schizophrenia, congestive heart failure and chronic oxygen use, the department said.

Hegseth said the U.S. has seen a surge in Americans wanting to enlist in the military, but some people are unable to complete initial training or their first term of service because of serious preexisting conditions.

"Applicants for military service … must be physically and mentally able to perform their duties under the harshest of conditions without risk to themselves or others," Hegseth said. "Service members need to be medically ready to fight. High standards equal lethality. We've seen a huge surge of Americans who want to join … a military with high, clear standards."

The order gives Pentagon officials 30 days to review their medical standards for enlistment, appointment or induction and come up with proposed updates to the standards.

"High, uncompromising, and clear standards are a hallmark of the U.S. military and are essential to helping us remain the most lethal and effective fighting force in the world," Jules Hurst, interim Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, said in a statement. To uphold these standards, and ensure that our warfighters are capable and ready, no matter the domain, adversary, or conditions, [Hegseth] has directed my office to conduct a review of existing medical standards for enlistment or appointment into military service.

"These lists will be used to make any necessary updates to DoD guidance that the Services use to assess the medical readiness of individuals seeking to join the military," he added.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.