Democrats at defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing on Tuesday said President Joe Biden's Department of Defense has not lowered standards for women in the military, despite years of such examples. he said repeatedly.
Several Democratic senators, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said multiple times during the hearing that standards for women in the military have not declined. They denied the existence of gender-based “quotas,” but multiple reports contradict these claims. Hegseth has made comments about women in the past. waiter However, he recently changed his mind after receiving the nomination.
“Given that standards remain high, women will also be able to serve in ground combat roles,” Hegseth said. said during the public hearing. “We will conduct a review to ensure standards have not been eroded in any of these cases.”
Following the establishment of the RAND Corporation, the U.S. Army has decided to set different standards for men and women in the 2022 Army Combat Physical Fitness Test (ACFT). study He said women fail exams at a much higher rate than men. From October 2020 to April 2021, before the change, 44% of women failed the ACFT test, compared to just 7% of men. According to Go to Military.com.
At one point in 2021, 65% of women failed the ACFT test, prompting a change in standards.
“If we remove the high standards and provide alternatives like the plank pose, women will pass at higher rates and the Army will falsely conclude that we have achieved gender equality,” said a female Army Ranger lieutenant. said Shaina N. Koss, one of the first 10 women to graduate. The Ranger School graduate wrote an op-ed for Military.com in 2021 in response to proposals to loosen requirements for women.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks with President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, during the Senate military confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. Ask a question. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
At Army Ranger School, female candidates were given a better chance of passing the test than male candidates during the first five days of Ranger School, so-called “RAP week,” according to testimony from multiple Army Rangers. . Ranger instructors also expressed concern that standards for women would be watered down.
Hegseth said the standards are intended to “maximize effectiveness” in any position within the military and are not intended to exclude people based on gender.
Racial quotas and diversity policies were also discussed during the hearing.
internal document A slideshow obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation in September 2024 shows the Air Force outlining its racial and gender quotas and reducing the number of white men in the Reserve Officer Training Corps officer applicant program in 2022. It includes a slideshow detailing how you want to “achieve” it. .
Additionally, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown faced criticism for allegedly selecting individuals for certain roles and promotions based on race in order to intentionally create a diverse organization. The Air Force's diversity policy under Brown appeared to prioritize hiring non-white officers and recruits.
“Americans are concerned that the Air Force is focusing its recruiting efforts on arbitrary racial diversity goals at a time when our nation faces dangerous and growing threats around the world. “It's not about improving force merit or lethality,” James said. Fitzpatrick, director of the Center To Advance Security In America, previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Critics of DEI in the military argue that the effort ultimately has a negative impact on recruitment numbers. Although hiring increased by 12.5% in 2024, the Pentagon continues to struggle with a “challenging and indifferent hiring market,” especially among young people. According to to the Department of Defense.
Republicans and Trump supporters were confident in Hegseth's behavior at the hearing, despite heavy criticism from Democrats. sauce he told CNN on Tuesday.
“Just as Donald Trump was an unconventional candidate when he descended the escalator steps in 2015, Pete Hegseth, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement provided to DCNF. He is also an unconventional candidate.” “The Department of Defense needs massive, rapid change, and Pete Hegseth has the determination and tools to achieve real change. He will inject a new warrior spirit into the Department of Defense and That spirit will flow from the top down.”
Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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