Vice President JD Vance tried to turn back the clock to his days in the Marines this week, taking on a Marine Corps obstacle course in a new video he posted to social media.
The 14-second video, posted
Aug. 18, shows Vance going through the course, which included everything from running to rope climbs, hurdles and pull-ups. Before taking on the course, Vance joked, saying that he hoped not to "break any bones."@jd How’d I do guys?
♬ original sound - JD Vance
Vance enlisted in the military directly out of high school. He joined the Marines in 2003 and served as a combat correspondent – or military journalist – until 2007, according to military news site Task & Purpose.
The vice president was deployed to Iraq for six months in late 2005. Based on his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,”
he would “attach to different units to get a sense of their daily routine,” escort civilian press and write stories about individual Marines.
Trump administration’s fitness rules for the military
Vance’s video comes as the Trump administration has continued to reform the fitness and grooming standards for the armed forces in line with Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth's vision for a fitter, clean-shaven military.
In a September 2025 policy speech to the assembled generals and admirals inside an auditorium aboard Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, he denounced "fat generals" while announcing the policy changes.
According to policy memos, fitness tests will increase in frequency and intensity for active-duty troops, who must now pass tests twice a year. Military members will also have their body fat measured twice per year.
Troops with combat-focused jobs, such as infantrymen or tank crew members, must meet male-based test standards during their annual general fitness test and complete a "combat field test" once yearly.
USA TODAY’s Davis Winkle contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JD Vance takes on Marine Corps obstacle course in new video
