and people

On June 11, 1970 Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth Hoisington were the first women in the U.S. military to be promoted to Brigadier General.

Yesterday, Pete Hegseth removed all women from the promotions lists. He also decided that some men had too much melanin and took them off the list, too, but it wasn't every man of color who was removed.

If you grew up in the military, if you know a veteran -- especially if it's a female veteran -- call, write, or email their congressperson and your own. Bonus points if the congress critter is on one of the armed services committees. [ https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/ lists the senate committee, https://armedservices.house.gov/about/members.htm lists the house committee members]

After 28.5 years in the Army, my father retired and became a professor. Many of the kids he taught were ROTC -- as he had been -- and a large percentage went into the regular military rather than the reserves. About eight months before he died, we got a letter from one of his students who had just retired as a Rear Admiral thanking him for his guidance and example. Dad was so proud of this woman. When he entered the service, most WACS and WAVES were nurses or secretaries. Now, he was being honored by a student who had been promoted to a higher rank than he'd held for her work in Computer Systems.

Several years before her promotion, when I was five, I was privileged to meet Colonel Hoisington. I swear I heard Dad's spine snap as she was introduced to us by a mutual friend. On our way home that evening, he told me to remember her because it was predicted that she'd be the first woman general.

As a sample, I would like to suggest:

It is appalling that a Secretary of Defense has removed all women and many men of color from the Naval promotions list. At a time when we have hotspots around the world, it is crippling to morale to see that hard work and honorable service has been deemed unworthy of further advancement. Nurses, doctors, logistical and other support personnel are as essential to our ability to operate as helicopter pilots or gunners. Good officers should be promoted.

If you or the veterans you know have any personal story to share, please do so.

I grew up in the military. I hate what's being done by our current president in the Middle East, Venezuela, and, potentially, Cuba. But that doesn't mean that I don't value military service. It's time that Congress demonstrated that it, too, values the voluntary service of our military.