Pentagon Recruiting Troops As White House UFC Spectators

The Pentagon is actively recruiting military personnel to attend UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14 as spectators, with internal memos revealing that troops will be required to fund their own travel and meet physical appearance standards to be eligible.

The Defense Department has solicited volunteers, specifically targeting junior enlisted personnel and junior officers. Internal messages make clear that travel costs will be "member-procured" — meaning neither the Pentagon nor the UFC will cover travel or accommodation expenses for the troops being recruited to fill seats at one of the most high-profile events in the organisation's history.

One memo circulated within the Air Force added a physical dimension to the eligibility criteria, stipulating that personnel "MUST MEET CURRENT WAIST-HEIGHT RATIO and current physical fitness standard." White House spokesman Davis Ingle did not dispute the recruitment effort.

"This will be one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history, and President Trump hosting it at the White House is a testament to his vision to celebrate America's monumental 250th anniversary," Ingle said.

The image of junior troops — the lowest-paid members of the military — being asked to cover their own costs to serve as a television audience for a pay-per-view event at the White House is one that the Pentagon, in declining to comment, has chosen not to address directly.