Pentagon slaps Tucker Carlson

About time somebody did.

On Wednesday, the Fox host offered what Pentagon spokesman John Kirby called a “monologue” in which he criticized recent policy changes that benefit female services members, such as more flexible hair regulations and uniforms that better fit women — including pregnant ones.

“So we've got new hairstyles and maternity flight suits," Carlson said. "Pregnant women are going to fight our wars. It's a mockery of the U.S. military.”

[...]

“Women lead our most lethal units with character,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston tweeted Wednesday evening. “They will dominate ANY future battlefield we’re called to fight on. @TuckerCarlson’s words are divisive, don’t reflect our values. We have THE MOST professional, educated, agile, and strongest NCO Corps in the world.”

"What I would say is, I'm extremely proud of the 185,000 women that serve with distinction every single day in the United States Army," Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said Thursday.

“I’ll remind everyone that his opinion, which he has a right to, is based off of actually zero days in the armed forces,” Master Gunnery Sgt. Scott H. Stalker, Command Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Space Command said in a tweeted video. “My opinion is based off of 28 years of actual service in the military...the bottom line is that we value women in our armed forces.”

[...]

“I hope that in the reaction [Carlson’s] seen and hopefully in our reaction here today, he'll realize the mistake he made and express some regret about the manner in which he essentially demeaned the entire U.S. military and how we defend and serve this country,” Kirby said.

[...]

The U.S. Army as a whole — via its official Twitter account — threw in its two cents with a thread of photos of female service members captioned with the Soldier’s Creed.

[...]

"What we absolutely won't do is take personnel advice from a talk show host or the Chinese military,” Kirby said. “We are better and more effective not only when we represent the American people, all the American people, but also when we have the moral courage to include other perspectives and ideas into our decision-making perspective.”

  Defense One

Amen!

The Chinese military?

Members of Congress also began to respond on Thursday. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-NJ, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who was a pilot of Navy SH-3 Sea King helicopters, said, "I signed up to serve my country at 18. @TuckerCarlson did not. I served with women who risked their lives to protect our country. Tucker did not. While he denigrates those who serve, our military remains the best fighting force due, in large part, to our amazing servicewomen."

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a former Army helicopter pilot who lost both of her legs in the Iraq War, on her campaign Twitter feed, said, "F*ck Tucker Carlson. While he was practicing his two-step, America’s female warriors were hunting down Al Qaeda and proving the strength of America’s women."

And, btw, the pregnancy policy was changed in July 2020. Why didn't he complain then? Hmm?

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE: