Defense Secretary Austin says women in military 'make us stronger'

Source: NBC News

Nov. 20, 2024, 7:13 AM EST


VIENTIANE, Laos — Women and racial diversity are vital to the strength of U.S. armed forces, outgoing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in an exclusive interview with NBC News as he prepares to shortly exit the top military post after four years.

“I have spent 41 years in uniform, three long tours in Iraq, one in Afghanistan, and everywhere I went on a battlefield, there were women in our formation,” Austin said. “I would tell you that, you know, our women are the finest troops in the world. Quite frankly, some of the finest in the world.”

President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of Defense is Pete Hegseth, a former Army National Guard major whose past comments about women in combat have raised questions and concerns. Hegseth said during a podcast released this month that the military “should not have women in combat roles” and that “men in those positions are more capable.”

Women made up 17.5% of the U.S. military's active duty force and 21.6% of the selected reserve in 2022, the Pentagon said in a November 2023 report. "They do impact readiness. They make us better. They make us stronger. And again, what I've seen from our women is quite incredible, and I'm not — this is not hyperbole. This is fact," Austin said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/defense-secretary-austin-says-women-military-make-us-stronger-rcna180937