Pete Hegseth to Sen. Ernst: Women Will Have Access to Ground Combat Roles

ERNST Thank you OK ░░░░░░░░ on to women in ░░░░░░░░ and I had the ░░░░░░░░ of serving in uniform ░░░░░░░░ over 23 years between ░░░░░░░░ Army Reserves and our ░░░░░░░░ Army National Guard did ░░░░░░░░ in Kuwait and missions ░░░░░░░░ Iraq And so it ░░░░░░░░ incredibly important that I ░░░░░░░░ and I hope that ░░░░░░░░ confirmed you continue to ░░░░░░░░ that every man and ░░░░░░░░ has opportunity to serve ░░░░░░░░ country in uniform and ░░░░░░░░ so at any level ░░░░░░░░ long as they are ░░░░░░░░ the standards that are ░░░░░░░░ forward and we we ░░░░░░░░ about that in my ░░░░░░░░ I do believe in ░░░░░░░░ standards Now I was ░░░░░░░░ the opportunity to serve ░░░░░░░░ any combat role because ░░░░░░░░ have a lot of ░░░░░░░░ hair and the policy ░░░░░░░░ changed since then OK ░░░░░░░░ I ve been around ░░░░░░░░ quite a while But ░░░░░░░░ the young women that ░░░░░░░░ out there now and ░░░░░░░░ meet those standards and ░░░░░░░░ I ll emphasize they ░░░░░░░░ be very very high ░░░░░░░░ they must physically be ░░░░░░░░ to achieve those standards ░░░░░░░░ that they can complete ░░░░░░░░ mission but I want ░░░░░░░░ know again let s ░░░░░░░░ it very clear for ░░░░░░░░ here today as secretary ░░░░░░░░ Defense will you support ░░░░░░░░ continuing to have the ░░░░░░░░ to serve in combat ░░░░░░░░ Hegseth Senator first of ░░░░░░░░ thank you for your ░░░░░░░░ as we discussed extensively ░░░░░░░░ well ERNST It s ░░░░░░░░ privilege Hegseth And my ░░░░░░░░ is yes exactly the ░░░░░░░░ that you caveated it ░░░░░░░░ women will have access ░░░░░░░░ ground combat roles combat ░░░░░░░░ given the standards remain ░░░░░░░░ and we ll have ░░░░░░░░ review to ensure the ░░░░░░░░ have not been eroded ░░░░░░░░ any one of these ░░░░░░░░ that ll be part ░░░░░░░░ one of the first ░░░░░░░░ we do at the ░░░░░░░░ is reviewing that in ░░░░░░░░ gender neutral way the ░░░░░░░░ ensuring readiness and meritocracy ░░░░░░░░ front and center but ░░░░░░░░ it would be the ░░░░░░░░ of a lifetime to ░░░░░░░░ confirmed to be the ░░░░░░░░ of Defense for all ░░░░░░░░ and women in uniform ░░░░░░░░ fight so heroically they ░░░░░░░░ so many other options ░░░░░░░░ decide to put their ░░░░░░░░ hand up for our ░░░░░░░░ and it would be ░░░░░░░░ honor to have a ░░░░░░░░ to lead them ERNST ░░░░░░░░ you.”