The Pentagon in 2013 lifted a longtime ban on girls folks serving in entrance-line combat positions
Reuters
05 December, 2024, 01:55 pm
Final modified: 05 December, 2024, 01:55 pm
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday strongly backed girls folks serving in the navy at some level of an impassioned speech on the US Militia Academy at West Point, in an apparent dig at President-elect Donald Trump’s decide to steer the Pentagon, who has said he opposes girls folks in combat roles.
Whereas Austin did not particularly mention Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for the job initiating on Jan. 20, he strongly criticized the postulate that girls folks must always restful now not serve.
In a wide-ranging speech about leadership in the navy and present threats coping with the United States, Austin recounted serving with girls folks in combat, along side at some level of his time in Iraq at some level of the 2003 invasion.
“All over that I’ve long previous on a battlefield, I’ve considered girls folks fighting for The usa and they’re incredibly capable, incredibly done, and incredibly courageous,” Austin said.
“So gape, if I safe a petite fired up about this, it be fair on tale of this is now not 1950. It is miles never 1948. It is miles 2024,” he added.
The Pentagon in 2013 lifted a longtime ban on girls folks serving in entrance-line combat positions.
In 2017, a female US Marine was the main lady to total the Corps’ notoriously grueling infantry officer route, seeing off dozens of male candidates who failed the preference practicing.
“Any navy that turns away tricky, proficient patriots — girls folks or males — is barely making itself weaker and smaller,” Austin said.
“So adequate already,” he added.
For the length of a podcast final month, Hegseth said that he used to be against having girls folks in combat roles.
“I am straight up fair asserting we need to not beget girls folks in combat roles. It hasn’t made us extra colorful. (It) hasn’t made us extra deadly. (It) has made fighting extra hard,” he said.
Hegseth pushed forward on Wednesday with his reveal for the job amid doubts in the Senate over allegations about his private and professional lifestyles.
