Thirty-eight African American women graduates in the Class of 2020 pose for a historic photo at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., June 13, 2020. It was the largest class of African American women in one graduation class. (credit: US DOD)

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

WASHINGTON  –  The Pentagon is fighting back against the sexist, misogynistic comments made by Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson on Thursday denigrating the contributions of women in the military.   On Tuesday, President Biden nominated two women to four-star general positions leading combatant commands – elite appointments that were stalled under the previous president, Donald Trump.  Carlson also joked that pregnant women “are going to fight our wars” and make a mockery of the U.S. military.   Carlson said “While China’s military becomes more masculine as it assembles the world’s largest navy, our military needs to become, as Joe Biden says, more feminine.”  The Pentagon swiftly called out the Fox news anchor for his sexist remarks and defended the diversity of the U.S. military. 

“The United States military is the greatest the world has ever seen because of its diversity,”  Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said during a news briefing early Thursday.

The Pentagon Press Secretary added:  “I want to be very clear right up front, that the diversity of our military is one of our greatest strengths,” he said. “I’ve seen it for myself in long months at sea and in the combat waged by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’ve seen it up on Capitol Hill just this past month. And I see it every day here right at the Pentagon.”

(credit: Gary Raynaldo  /  ©Diplomatic  Times )   Pentagon Press Secretary John  Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon, Washington D.C.  March  5, 2021

Kirby reiterated Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s assertion that the American military works best when it represents all the American people.     President Joe Biden has nominated Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost to command U.S. Transportation Command and Army Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson to command U.S. Southern Command. 

“To be sure, we still have a lot of work to do to make our military more inclusive, more respectful of everyone, especially women,” Kirby added

There is a lack of women at senior ranks, Kirby acknowledged  “We pledge to do better, and we will,” he said. “What we absolutely won’t do is take personnel advice from a talk show host or the Chinese military. Maybe those folks feel like they have something to prove — that’s on them. We know we’re the greatest military in the world today and even for all the things we need to improve, we know exactly why that’s so.”