They lost limbs in combat, led security convoys, and survived several combat tours.
Now, some female veterans and service members are speaking out against it Pete Hexeth notesThe newly elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, spoke about the ability of women to fight on the front line, whom he chose for the position of defense minister.
“I don’t even know how to express my disgust,” said the current U.S. Army colonel, who spoke to NBC News on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
In a podcast last week, former Fox News anchor Hegseth said the military “shouldn’t have women in combat roles” and that “men in those positions are more capable.”
“It didn’t make us more effective, it didn’t make us more lethal, it made the fight more difficult,” Hegseth said on “The Shawn Ryan Show.”
In another podcast in June, he said women are “life-givers, not life-givers.”
“They could be doctors or helicopter pilots,” Hegseth said on “The Ben Shapiro Show.” “But they create all kinds of variables and complications that have nothing to do with being anti-feminist and having the most effective military.”
An Army colonel who spoke anonymously during more than 20 years of service and three deployments she said her gender wouldn’t stop her from living a life if she had to.
“I train the same way. I take the same oath. I, like my male colleagues, follow the orders given to me.”
A combat arms officer said it would be “embarrassing” and detrimental to recruitment and retention efforts if the U.S. reversed its policy.
“We already have enough problems,” he said, citing sexual harassment and assault as prime examples. “If policies like these change, I could see how it could hurt a lot of potential in terms of who serves and who stays in the service. It would be like taking back our ability to vote.”
The Pentagon opened everything first Action roles for women in 2016 reflecting changing attitudes of gender-based barriers within the military.
“Our future force must continue to benefit from the best America has to offer,” said then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter. “This includes women too”
The historic policy change opened some of the 220,000 roles available to men only, including some special operations units and infantry positions.
It allowed eligible and qualified women to drive tanks, give orders, lead infantry soldiers into battle, and serve as Army Rangers, Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marines, and Air Force paratroopers.
It’s unclear what changes Hegseth will make. She told Shapiro that female soldiers “shouldn’t be in my infantry battalion.”
Today, women make up more than 17% of the military’s active duty force, according to the Department of Defense. According to the agency, in 2022 the number of military personnel decreased by 2.7% compared to the previous year, but the percentage of women in the military increased.
Lori Manning, who works with the nonprofit Service Women’s Action Network, said hundreds of people proved their mettle and heroism during the nation’s longest war.
“They did it for 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Manning, a retired Navy captain who served more than 25 years. “We know they can do it.”
Manning said that more than 300,000 women have served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to federal casualty data, at least 179 of them were killed and more than 1,000 wounded in various operations.
According to a 2015 report by the Congressional Research Service, more than 9,000 women received Army Combat Action Badges for “actively joining or fighting the enemy.” The two were awarded the Silver Star, the third-highest military award, for “valor in action,” the report said.
Manning said another 383 women have been awarded the Purple Heart, the nation’s oldest military award, which recognizes sacrifice and heroism.
Allison Jaslow, an Iraq War veteran who heads the nonprofit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said women not only stay in combat for a while, but “many are tougher than their male counterparts.”
In Iraq, Jaslow led a convoy security element that came under regular small arms fire. According to him, the caravans were also hit by roadside bombs. But she pointed to the strength of women who graduate from the Army’s Ranger School, one of the toughest combat training courses in the world.
“These women deserve a defense secretary who is aware of this reality,” Jaslow said.
In announcing his choice on Tuesday, Trump described Hegsett as “tough, smart and a believer in true America.”
Days later it turned out to be Hegseth In 2017, he was investigated for “sexual violence”. At a California hotel hosting a gathering of Republican women, she has not been charged with a crime, police said Friday.
Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said in a statement that Hexeth “strongly denies any and all allegations” and that Trump has “nominated high-profile and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration.”
Trump’s transition team did not immediately comment on the response from female veterans and service members.
Hegseth, 44, is a former Army National Guard infantry officer who served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. If he is confirmed to join Trump’s second Cabinet, he will be the sixth presidential candidate.
In a statement, Purple Heart recipient D-Ill. Senator Tammy Duckworth said the choice was “dangerous, plain and simple”.
Duckworth, a former Army National Guard member, was one of the first women to serve on combat duty in the military during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He lost both legs and partial use of his right arm in 2004 after a grenade was thrown into his helicopter.
“Where do you think I lost my legs? In a bar fight? I’m pretty sure I was in combat when it happened.” told CNN. “If he thinks we can keep women behind some kind of imaginary line where modern warfare doesn’t exist, that shows how out of touch he is with the nature of modern warfare.”
Retired Army Lt. Col. Raquel Durden, a former Army paratrooper, condemned the ban on women in combat jobs, saying instead the military should hold and enforce high standards for every man and woman in those roles.
“Casting this wide net and saying that women shouldn’t serve in combat — well, guess what? We are already there,” he said.