Lloyd Austin made the feedback after his nominated successor, Pete Hegseth, mentioned girls shouldn’t be in fight roles.
Outgoing Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned in a Nov. 20 interview that ladies and racial variety are important to the energy and success of the U.S. armed forces.
Austin made the remarks in an interview with NBC Information as the previous commander of the U.S. Central Command prepares to go away his place after 4 years as head of the Division of Protection.
“I’ve spent 41 years in uniform, three lengthy excursions in Iraq, one in Afghanistan, and in all places I went on a battlefield, there have been girls in our formation,” Austin mentioned.
“I’d inform you that, you realize, our girls are the best troops on this planet. Fairly frankly, a number of the most interesting on this planet.”
The interview adopted President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for Austin’s successor, Pete Hegseth, lately got here beneath fireplace for previous feedback he made about girls in fight. A former Military Nationwide Guard Main, Hegseth is a veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, and has two Bronze Stars and a Fight Infantryman’s Badge.
In a current podcast interview, Hegseth mentioned the navy “mustn’t have girls in fight roles” and “males in these positions are extra succesful. ”
In line with a November 2023 Protection Division report, in 2022, girls accounted for 17.5 % of the U.S. navy’s active-duty pressure and 21.6 % of the chosen reserve.
Austin mentioned that ladies “do influence readiness.”
“They make us higher. They make us stronger. And once more, what I’ve seen from our girls is kind of unimaginable, and I’m not—this isn’t hyperbole. That is truth.”
Along with eradicating girls from fight roles, Hegseth advised he would transfer to take away navy officers who again variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) applications, which Republicans usually criticize as weakening navy readiness.
Austin declined to take a position on this however mentioned the navy values variety regardless of being a meritocracy.
“We’re a various nation, and we’re going to stay a various nation. Our navy goes to stay a various navy,” he mentioned.
“The matter was totally investigated, and I used to be fully cleared,” Hegseth instructed reporters on the Capitol on Thursday, describing the connection in query as consensual.
Concerning Hegseth’s nomination to succeed him as the following secretary of protection, Austin mentioned, “The president-elect has the chance to appoint anybody that he chooses for any place, and definitely, you realize, we respect that.”
Concerning Trump’s said plans to make use of the navy to conduct widespread deportations of unlawful immigrants dwelling in america, Austin declined to debate the president-elect’s intentions however added that the legislation defines “how we make use of our navy.”
“I’ve religion and confidence in our senior leaders that they’ll at all times make the precise choices and make the precise suggestions to their management,” he mentioned.
President Joe Biden appointed Austin, a four-star basic, as protection secretary in 2021.
The Related Press contributed to this report.