CNN —When Elisa Smithers was deployed to Iraq in 2005, there was a ban on women serving in ground combat operations.
But she returned home to find she wasn’t offered the same support by the US Department of Veterans Affairs that male combat veterans were offered, Smithers said.
Women account for roughly 17.5% of the Defense Department’s active-duty force, according to 2022 data from the agency.
Hegseth has specifically criticized having women in roles where strength “is the differentiator,” he said on the podcast last week.
She also worries any course reversal on women serving in combat will have a sweeping impact on women serving in other government jobs.
Persons:
Elisa Smithers, Smithers, wasn’t, Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, –, he’s, ”, Hegseth, “, hasn’t, ” Hegseth, Shawn Ryan, ” Smithers, we’ll, Elizabeth Beggs, Let’s, ” Beggs, Beggs, who’ve, Lory Manning, “ I’m, …, ” Manning, it’s, Manning, we’ve, Brandy Cottrill, Cox, “ It’s, ‘ That’s, Sen, Tammy Duckworth, Anna Moneymaker, Illinois Sen, Duckworth, MAGA, Wendy Coop, Wendy Coop Wendy Coop, ” Coop, Coop, don’t, that’s, she’s
Organizations:
CNN, National Guard, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Fox News, Army, Defense, Warriors, US Army, Army National Guard, Department of Veterans Affairs, Navy, Army Rangers, Army Special Forces, Marine, “ Seals, Rangers, Green Berets, Service, Action, American Civil Liberties Union, “, National Center for Veterans Analysis, Combat, Veterans Families, US Coast Guard, US Army Special Operations Command, US National Guard, Capitol, US Navy, US Naval Academy
Locations:
Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Washington , DC, Illinois, St, Augustine , Florida