About Us
Mission Statement
Rules of Conduct
 
Name:
Pswd:
Remember Me
Register
 

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 03/16/2021 11:35:57

Good Morning.

Well, well...as if Republicans weren't trash enough.


We've not followed it much here at AAV, but you are likely aware of comments made by TV 'personality' Tucker Carlson regarding female troops in the military. (Hint: the comments weren't very nice.)

Well, guess who is FIRST IN LINE to defend him?


Some Republicans are closing ranks to defend Tucker Carlson after a wave of senior military leaders rebuked the Fox News host for comments claiming that maternity uniforms for women and updated hair regulations are "a mockery of the U.S. military."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Sunday penned a letter to the Pentagon, slamming the military for "being mobilized against the speech of American citizens or in the service of left wing political causes."

"This kind of behavior, while perhaps typical in a military-controlled third world country, is completely unacceptable in the United States of America," Cruz wrote to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Cruz, who often gets heavily involved with inflammatory culture issues, requested a meeting with the commandant of the Marine Corps after an official service Twitter account -- II MEF Information Group -- tweeted an image of a female Marine conducting physical training and wrote, "What it looks like in today's armed forces @Tucker Carlson. Get right before you get left, boomer."

In another tweet responding to someone criticizing the Marines, the II MEF Group responded, "Come back when you've served and been pregnant."

Both tweets were deleted, and the account issued an apology.

Cruz doesn't serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee and has virtually no role in military oversight or any background in the armed forces himself. While it is common for multiple co-signers to endorse communications from lawmakers to high-profile officials, Cruz's letter had no clear support from the Republican Party, with no other senators signing it with him.

But on Monday, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, suggested that female troops serving is a virtue signaling crusade from the Defense Department, despite the fact that women have served in all American conflicts.

"Tucker Carlson is right! The U.S. military does not exist to serve as a social experiment for the far left. It exists to defend us from our enemies, not to be used as a political weapon for enemies of the Biden administration," Jackson, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, tweeted.

The term "social experiment" has long been a phrase used by critics of cultural progress in the military, including the integration of Black service members and repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.


I don't really have much more to say about this - other than stating the obvious about our differently-winged friends.

So let's move on. Naturally there is an opposing point of view. We do have an entire day dedicated to the services - Armed Forces Day, celebrated this year on May 21. But it's one of those obscure 'holidays' that really doesn't mean anything to the vast rank and file of Americans. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (D-NY) has penned an op-ed calling for the designation of a day to honor women in the military, and she has suggested March 21 in the middle of Women's History Month to do it.


This year marks the 40th anniversary of Women’s History Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the remarkable achievements women have made since the founding of our country. Currently, tens of millions of women are helping America battle an unprecedented pandemic as essential workers, health-care providers, teachers, small business owners, farmers, mothers, daughters, sisters, and more. In 2021, there were more women sworn into Congress than at any time in our nation’s history.

But amidst all of these challenges and triumphs, we must not forget about the women who bravely serve our country each and every day by serving in the United States military.

The endeavors of bold American military women date back to the Revolutionary War and have spanned every conflict since. During the American Revolution, women voluntarily served in support roles as nurses, seamstresses and cooks. Some hid their identities, dressing as men to serve alongside soldiers in the trenches. They suffered the same hardships as their male counterparts without the benefit of military rank or compensation. They did so out of love of country and a willingness to sacrifice themselves to defend our republic.

America’s first officially enlisted woman joined the military in the month of March — Loretta Perfectus Walsh was sworn in as a chief petty officer in the United States Navy on March 21, 1917. She was the first woman to officially serve in the U.S. armed forces in a capacity other than a civilian nurse, and less than a month after her enlistment, the U.S. declared war on Germany and entered World War I. The following year on Jan. 21, 1918, Myrtle Hazard became the first woman to officially take the oath of enlistment for the U.S. Coast Guard. On Aug. 13, 1918, Opha May Johnson joined the U.S. Marine Corps before she even had the lawful right to vote.

Esther McGowin Blake, having already joined the Army Air Forces in 1944, enlisted in the active duty U.S. Air Force on July 8, 1948, and proudly served beside her two sons. And Deborah Sampson, the first woman to join the U.S. Army, disguised herself as a man to join the Continental Army, where she honorably served until 1783. She was wounded multiple times and received an honorable discharge upon being discovered as a female.

These trailblazing women were selfless and courageous, and serve as an example of what it means to be an American patriot. They continually pushed the boundaries of American society and culture, shattering glass ceilings of their time.

Today, thousands of women serve in direct combat roles and undertake combat arms professions at the Department of Defense. As the representative for New York’s 21st Congressional District, I am continually inspired by our military women serving at Fort Drum and in the 10th Mountain Division, the most deployed unit since 9/11.

Every woman who straps up their boots to serve should be held in our nation’s highest regard for their courage and bravery. In their honor, I call upon President Biden to designate March 21 as Women’s Military History Day. It’s only fitting that we commemorate the women of the United States military for their selflessness, valor, and patriotism on the same day that Chief Petty Officer Walsh made history more than 100 years ago.


So there you have it. I presume there are some among us that are not well-versed in the Star Wars universe, but here we are like Sith, seeing things in terms of absolutes.

There are some American politicians that try to do the right thing, work for the people, try to work together in an effort to 'form a more perfect Union'.

Then there are Republicans.






 
 

3 comments (Latest Comment: 03/16/2021 15:18:59 by livingonli)
   Perma Link

Share This!

Furl it!
Spurl
NewsVine
Reddit
Technorati