Senior military leaders express support for military women following the reception of Fox News Tucker Carlson
Tucker CarlsonNYT criticizes Tucker Carlson for attacking journalist The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Lawmakers face a Capitol threat as senators vote on the assistance bill. she complained to her program about recent changes aimed at attracting and retaining more members of the female service.
“Women lead our most lethal units with character” tweeted Sgt. Army shift Michael Grinston, the top enlisted leader in the service. “They will dominate ANY future battlefield in which we are called to fight. @ TuckerCarlson’s words are divisive, they don’t reflect our values. WE HAVE THE MOST PROFESSIONAL, EDUCATED, AGILE AND STRONG [noncommissioned officer] Bodies in the world “.
Monday, President Biden
Joe BidenManchin cements key vote status in Senate 50-50 Note: how COVID revalued policy Post-pandemic plans for lawmakers: Chuck E. Cheese, visiting friends, clean hugs MORE marked International Women’s Day by promoting the recent promotion of two women generals. In her speech, Biden also addressed efforts in recent years to better accommodate military women, including the tasks of designing maternity flight suits and updating preparation standards to allow for a wider range of hairstyles.
The next night, Carlson faced these efforts.
“So we have new hairstyles and maternity flight dresses. Pregnant women will fight our wars. It’s a mockery of the U.S. military,” Carlson said.
“While China’s military is becoming more masculine as it has assembled the world’s largest navy, our army needs to become what Joe Biden says more feminine, whatever it means feminine.” , it continued.
Tucker delivered the monologue alongside a photo of an Air Force officer wearing an artificial bun, modeling a flight suit designed for pregnant women.
The changes Carlson focused on began during the Trump administration.
The Air Force has been working on buying maternity suits after announcing in 2019 that it would allow pilots to continue flying longer until pregnancy without giving up.
Meanwhile, in January, the Army unveiled new standards of readiness that had been recommended in December, including those to allow for longer ponytails and braids, cornrows or wider turns. While grooming rules are meant to enhance uniformity, many women of color have complained that strict rules do not allow braids or other hairstyles that are easier for those with different textures and hair lengths.
Asked Thursday about Carlson’s comments, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby sent in Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
Lloyd Austin Night Defense: House passes .9T COVID-19 relief law | McConnell says Capitol security reminds him of “last visit to Kabul” | Austin, Blinken heads to South Korea and Japan on his first trips abroad. The Pentagon announces that the main leaders of the Biden climate working group will meet with the Chinese in Alaska MORE MORE“repulsion” in the segment.
“What we’re absolutely not going to do is get advice from the staff of a talk show host or the Chinese military, and maybe those people feel they have something to prove, that’s something they have,” Kirby told reporters. .
But Kirby also said the American Forces Network (AFN), which broadcasts troops deployed overseas, would continue to lead Carlson’s show.
“By instruction, we must broadcast and make available to men and women and their families abroad the same kind of content, news, information and sports content that their fellow citizens can obtain, so that their program is broadcast on AFN, ”Kirby said.
“I hope that in the reaction you are seeing, and I hope that in our reaction here today, you will realize the mistake you made and express some regret for the way you essentially degraded the entire U.S. military. and how we defend and how we serve this country, ”he added.
Fox News spokesmen did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reaction to the Carlson segment among military leaders.
Several top army officers took to Twitter to attack Carlson.
“Thousands of women serve honorably every day around the world,” he tweeted General Paul Funk, Commander of the Army Doctrine and Training Command. “They are beacons of freedom and show that Carlson is wrong through determination and dedication. We are lucky that they serve us. “
Deputy Funk, Lieutenant General Ted Martin, posted a photo of his daughter in combat fatigue and said, “Contrary to what you may hear, this WOMAN and thousands of WOMEN like her do NOT” make fun of our military. “
“YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO BE AS AWESOME AS MINE! so BACK OFF, ”Martin added.
Major General Pat Donahoe, commander of Fort Benning and the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, posted a video of himself leading a recruiting ceremony for a female soldier as a “reminder that @TuckerCarlson couldn’t be more wrong.”
Sgt of order. Major Rocky Carr, the main enlisted leader of the Military Surface Distribution and Distribution Command, he posted a photo of himself and his wife after a 5-mile race near Fort Hood and noted that she was the best overall qualifier.
“Side note: I was 12 weeks pregnant with our daughter. #soHooah, “tweeted Carr.
The Army’s official Twitter account also appeared to enter the controversy on Thursday, tweeting several photos of women soldiers alongside messages about their abilities, though the tweets were not addressed directly to Carlson.
“I am an American soldier. I am willing to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America, in close combat.” read a tweet which included a photo of a woman operating an M2 .50 caliber machine gun.
The commander-in-chief enlisted the leader of the United States Space Command, Sergeant Master Gunnery Marine Corps. Meanwhile, Scott Stalker rejected Carlson’s comments “based on zero days of service to the armed forces.”
Army maternity policies, Stalker noted, were reported by medical professionals, “they actually make a more lethal and prepared force,” she said in a video posted on Twitter Thursday.
Ellen Mitchell contributed to this report, which was updated at 12:28 p.m.