Pete Hegseth Faces Scrutiny as Pentagon's Women-in-Combat Review Records Could Be Held Until 2027

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Pentagon could leave military advocates waiting until 2027 for answers about a controversial women-in-combat study that critics fear could threaten thousands of servicewomen's careers, OK! can reveal.

According to court documents obtained by OK!, Marine Corps officials warned that processing records concerning the Pentagon's review might not begin until late December 2026 or mid-January 2027, raising concerns about transparency as the military examines women's effectiveness in ground combat positions.

The warning emerged in an October 8 lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, National Women's Law Center, and Service Women's Action Network against the Department of Defense.

The organizations submitted a Freedom of Information Act request on August 19 seeking records about the study's methodology, findings, and potential changes to combat eligibility standards.

On September 29, Marine Corps officials delivered a troubling timeline.

"Based on our current workload and processing rate, we estimate that we will be able to begin substantive processing of your request approximately late December 2026 to mid-January 2027," officials stated, according to the complaint.

That estimate concerns when processing could begin, not when the requested records would be released.

The organizations warn that the Pentagon's review could pave the way for restrictions affecting women already serving in combat positions.

According to the lawsuit, rolling back women's eligibility for combat roles could derail thousands of military careers and limit opportunities for future recruits. Combat assignments can also provide pathways to specialized training, leadership opportunities, and senior military positions.

The plaintiffs argue that restricting qualified women could undermine national security by disrupting military operations and reducing the pool of available personnel. Those consequences remain concerns raised by the organizations, not changes that the lawsuit establishes have already occurred.

The records dispute centers on a review commissioned in December 2025 to examine ground combat units a decade after the military opened previously restricted positions to women.

The Pentagon initially assigned the research to the Institute for Defense Analyses before transferring it to Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in April 2026.

The organizations want to know why the assignment changed and how researchers are measuring combat performance. They are also seeking information about scoring systems, analytical tools, artificial intelligence, and preliminary findings.

The complaint does not establish that artificial intelligence was used.

The lawsuit alleges that multiple military agencies failed to provide requested documents or timely decisions.

Marine Corps officials reportedly sought records from internal sources, including the Pentagon, but had received none by September 29.

The plaintiffs are asking a federal judge to compel the department to process their requests.

For women whose military futures could be affected by the review, the dispute raises a pressing question: Will the public gain access to the research before any decisions about combat eligibility are made?