Hegseth’s ‘High-T’ troop screening mandate comes without cost estimate

The Department of War is mandating annual testosterone screening for every active-duty and reserve service member age 30 and older, a mandate affecting about 2 million troops. The Ddepartment declined to say how much the program will cost taxpayers or how it will determine whether the screening improves military readiness.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered the screening in a July 15 memo, citing research on “Operator Syndrome” among special operations forces as justification for expanding testosterone testing across the force. The Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness has until Aug. 15 to update formal policy. Service members under 30 can request the screening voluntarily.

In a video message, Hegseth said the program is not “about artificial enhancement” and that any resulting treatment would be voluntary. The memo says the screening will let the department “establish a comprehensive baseline” and offer testosterone therapy to those diagnosed with testosterone d...