Last fall, top Pentagon officials decided two female generals deserved to be promoted and receive the coveted fourth star. But there was a hitch, and he was in the White House. The New York Times writes:
For then-Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the tricky part was that both of the accomplished officers were women. In 2020 America under President Trump, the two Pentagon leaders feared that any candidates other than white men for jobs mostly held by white men might run into turmoil once their nominations got to the White House.
So, for Lieutenant Generals Laura Richardson of the Army and Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost of the Air Force, it meant a decision needed to be made, and the Pentagon chose to wait, and they agreed on an unusual strategy. According to the Times:
They held back their recommendations until after the November elections, betting that if Joseph R. Biden Jr. won, he and his aides would be more supportive of the Pentagon picks than Mr. Trump, who had feuded with Mr. Esper and has a history of disparaging women. They stuck to the plan even after Mr. Trump fired Mr. Esper six days after the election.
The strategy worked. Lloyd Austin, the new Secretary of Defense, and Gen. Milley are expected to send the recommendations for the two women to the White House where officials are expected to endorse their promotions and pass them along to the Senate for confirmation.
Here’s a video of Gen. Richardson commemorating the 75 anniversary of the end of World War II.
