WASHINGTON (AP) — under a speech at West Point Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the military’s duty to uphold the principles of the U.S. Constitution, which some fear may be questioned under the incoming Trump administration. Austin also firmly endorsed the deployment of women in combat positions.
He remembered leading troops in the early stages of the 2003 invasion of Iraq while addressing students at the U.S. Military Academy in New York. He claimed that although he intended to maintain his command position at the front, where he could observe the battle, he warned his soldiers that there were significant hazards and that anyone who chose to stay behind would not be viewed negatively.
He claimed that one of the women was the first to question him about it.
Without a doubt, they were urging me to shut up and start fighting. According to Austin, that is the identity of the women in the US military.
His comments contrast with those of the man Trump appointed to succeed Austin as Pentagon chief. Former Army National Guard member and Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth has stated his opinion that men and women shouldn’t serve in combat units together.
He said, “I’m just saying that we shouldn’t have women in combat roles,” to podcast host Shawn Ryan a month ago. It hasn’t increased our effectiveness. hasn’t increased our lethality. has increased the complexity of fighting.
Austin, a former four-star general with over 40 years of Army experience and command at all levels, resisted, claiming to have witnessed tremendously strong and courageous women defending their nation in combat.
Look, the only reason I get a little worked up about this is that it’s not 1950. 1948 is not the year. “It’s 2024,” Austin stated. Furthermore, any military that rejects strong, gifted patriots—whether they are men or women—is only weakening and shrinking. Enough already.
Austin cautioned the cadets to keep in mind their sworn obligation to protect the Constitution, but he never brought up President-elect Donald Trump, Hegseth, or the new administration.
His comments were in line with those of others who have expressed concern that Trump may attempt to employ active-duty military personnel to deport immigrants without lawful permanent status, patrol the southern border, and even fight urban crime on city streets. Additionally, Trump has reiterated during his campaign that he will send soldiers within the United States if he thinks it is necessary.
When demonstrations over police brutality erupted across the country during his first term, Trump pressed for the deployment of military forces on a street in Washington, D.C. Prominent military leaders opposed the ideas, including then-Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who emphasized in a memo that all military personnel take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and its principles.
At West Point, Austin declared, “We defend government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and we do not compromise on matters of honor, integrity, or law.” Our purpose is to defend our nation, protect our citizens, and enforce the Constitution. Furthermore, that cannot be negotiated.
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