Canada’s top general rejects notion of dropping women from combat roles

MICHAEL TUTTON

HALIFAX — Canada’s top general firmly rejected the notion of dropping women from combat roles — a position promoted by president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defence secretary — at a security forum held in Halifax on the weekend.

Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff, was responding to Republican Sen. James Risch’s comments on Friday at the Halifax International Security Forum about Peter Hegseth’s opposition to women in fighting units.

Asked about Hegseth’s views, the Idaho senator told the roughly 300 delegates the “jury is still out” on how to deal with the “unique situations” that having women in combat creates. He added it was ultimately up to the U.S. military to decide on the issue.

Carignan took a few minutes to address the comments at the beginning of a panel on how western militaries are reacting to the challenge from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. Her audience included a number of women in uniform.

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