If the Pentagon has been reluctant to resort to women in deployed combat units for too long, or if it is still slow to properly deal with a high number of allegations of harassment or assault, U.S. Defense officials have reacted vigorously to the denunciation of recent Joe Biden appointments.
Women have contributed to the protection of the country since the War of Independence, but, from Deborah Samson (who fought under a male name before 1783) to Jacqueline Van Ovost and Laura Richardson (appointed to head commands some days), the evolution of the place and role of women in the troops will have been long and strewn with pitfalls.
The Pentagon saw fit to respond to harsh criticism of the 46e chairman, broadcast by Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The latter criticizes the White House for the feminization of the troops at a time when China would masculinize its troops.
As is his habit, Carlson used very harsh words and left no room for nuance. Here is an excerpt from her tirade: “So, we’ve got new hairstyles and maternity flight suits. Pregnant women are going to fight our wars. It’s a mockery of the US military ”. American forces would be ridiculed, nothing less.
I wouldn’t have enough of a little blog post to explain how wrong and discriminatory the host’s claim is. Carlson would no doubt have aimed more justly, but disliked a fringe of his audience, if he had rather endeavored to denounce the growing influence of the far right and supremacists in the ranks of the soldiers. If there is a real problem and a worrying drift, it is this.
I welcome the vigorous and swift reaction of Pentagon leaders. Many generals, including the new Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, stressed the importance of diversity in the ranks, while highlighting the sacrifice and contribution of so many women.
The US military is still a powerhouse on the international stage, and women contribute in every way. If you considered that Joe Biden’s appointments were only symbolic and that they were intended only to ensure him a capital of sympathy, you limited the real scope.
Van Ovost and Richardson were only the second and third women to be entrusted with such responsibilities, and we must continue to ensure that the diversity of the troops is recognized at the highest levels of the hierarchy.
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