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The U.S. military has it retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, his former head of communications, from his mentorship role and put him under investigation after posting a tweet that appeared to mock First Lady Jill Biden’s tweet about the recent decision of the Supreme Court on abortion.
The tweet responded to Biden’s June 24 tweet about the Supreme Court’s decision to revoke Roe against Wadein which the first lady lamented the impact of the decision on women.
“I’m glad to see you finally know what a woman is,” Volesky responded in a tweet that has since been deleted, according to USA Today, which reported the news Saturday earlier.
For almost 50 years, women have the right to make our own decisions about our bodies.
Today we have been robbed of this right.
And although we are devastated by this injustice, we will not be silent. We will not be left behind because the progress we have already made is fading.
– Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) June 24, 2022
Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith told the Washington Post in a statement that Lieutenant General Theodore Martin, commander-in-chief of the Combined Arms Center, suspended Volesky from his contract as chief mentor “pending the outcome of the commander ‘s investigation “. In the role, Volesky was among retired military officers or retired senior civilian officials offering advice and training to army officers, personnel, and students.
Volesky did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday afternoon. The White House declined to comment.
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Volesky, 60, is an officer decorated with a long military career. Before retiring from the military and being hired as a mentor, Volesky commanded the 1st Corps, a major military formation, and led the Lewis-McChord Joint Base from 2017 to 2020. From 2014 to 2017, he commanded the 101st Airborne Division, known for its role on D-Day during World War II. From 2012 to 2014, he was the head of the Army’s public affairs division.
Volesky served in the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the Afghan War. He was awarded a Silver Star, the third highest military combat distinction, for his participation in military efforts in northeastern Baghdad. He is a board member of Unified Business Technologies, a Michigan-based information technology company.
Volesky’s response to Biden’s tweet echoes an interaction between Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) And Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during Jackson’s confirmation hearings in this year’s Supreme Court. Blackburn, who has criticized a bill to bolster LGBTQ protections, pressured Jackson to define the word “woman” in reference to transgender rights.
Transgender issues have reached a new focus after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, especially with regard to the use of the word “women” to describe people affected by abortion restrictions. Critics of transgender women – sometimes called trans-exclusive radical feminists (TERFs) – have denounced what they say is the inability to call themselves “women” as gender-inclusive language is more commonly used. On Monday, animators Bette Midler and Macy Gray were criticized for their recent comments on transgender issues.
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Volesky has posted other political tweets, including a July 2021 response to a tweet from MP Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) In which he announced that he would be part of the select committee to investigate the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. He wrote: “Our oath to the Constitution must be above partisan politics.”
The political messages of the retired military are not new.
In 2016, retired Navy General John Allen endorsed Hillary Clinton for the presidency, while retired Lieutenant General of the Army Michael Flynn called for Clinton to be shut down, and later served as Trump’s national security adviser. before being fired for lying to federal investigators. . In 2019, retired Army General Stanley McChrystal called Trump “immoral” and said he did not believe the then president was truthful. The adm. of retired Navy William McRaven wrote a Washington Post opinion piece in 2020 criticizing Trump for undermining “all major U.S. institutions.”