The Chief of General Staff of the Canadian Army, General Jenny Karinyan, openly criticized the candidate for the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Pete Hegseth, who was proposed by the President-elect of the United States of America, Donald Trump. He believes that men and women should not serve together in frontline units.
Carignan spoke at an international security forum in Halifax. He said that after 39 years of service in the army in combat positions, in different countries where he risked his life, “he does not believe that in 2024 we should justify the participation of women (…) in their service. country,” he was quoted as saying by The Canadian Press, adding that the Canadian general's speech was met with a standing ovation.
“All women in uniform should be appreciated.”
American TV ABC also quoted him as saying that “I don't want anyone to be left with the idea that this is some kind of social experiment after the conference.” “All of these women in uniform who are here, choosing to take risks and fight to defend their country, should be honored for what they do,” said the Canadian general.
Jenny Carinnan Kelly Clark / Zuma Press / Forum
Carinnan pointed to comments from Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch. Beard told an audience of about 300 people at the Halifax Forum on Friday that “no decision has been made on how to deal with the 'special situations'” created by women in combat, adding that ultimately it is up to the army to decide on this issue.
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Trump's nominee on women in the military
Beard was referring to Pete Hegseth, who has been nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump to be the Secretary of Defense.
He is a former military man who has said that men and women should not serve together in combat units, and he said on a podcast two weeks ago that the presence of women makes war “complicated” and yet he sees a place for women in combat units. army, it is not in special operations, artillery, infantry or units using armored vehicles.
Pete HegsethAlbin Laure-Jones / EPA / PAP
Carignan has been the new Chief of General Staff of the Canadian Army since July. He commanded, among others, the engineers as well as emergency operations during the flooding of Quebec, when the army was mobilized to help. In 2008, she became the first woman in the history of the Canadian military to command a front-line force, and then served in Afghanistan, Syria, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also headed the NATO mission in Iraq in 2019 and 2020.
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Main photo: Kelly Clarke / Zuma Press / The Forum
