#Janessa #Goldbeck
is concerned that the military’s status as an apolitical institution is under threat from Trump.

She says: “This administration is doing harm to the world and to the nation in a lot of different ways
but one of my chief concerns is about this generational harm that it’s doing to the professionalism and the apolitical nature of the military.”

In this, she argues, Trump is being aided and abetted by Pete Hegseth,
the secretary of defence.

In a recent speech to senior officers at a military base in Quantico, Virginia, Hegseth railed against “woke” culture,
railed against “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon”
and insisted:
“No more beardos.”

Goldbeck responds:
“Pete Hegseth is unequivocally the least qualified person who ever led the department of defense.”

Hegseth has also gone on the record with the opinion:
“I’m straight up saying we should not have women in combat roles”.

This is anathema to Goldbeck,
who put herself forward for infantry officer training,
a position then closed to female marines,
and later worked with advocacy groups to successfully repeal the policy.

She states that in the decade since women have served successfully and standards have not been lowered.

“To see this fight that has already been litigated,
has already put to bed,
that nobody in the service is actually still grumbling about except for a few guys that have holes in their soul that will never be filled,
is so incredibly infuriating,” she reflects.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/26/janessa-goldbeck-vet-voice-foundation-trump?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other