Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is terminating a policy committee that advises on women in the armed services, just his latest effort to root out "wokeness."
Hegseth believes the gender-specific focus of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services is "divisive" and undermines resolve.
“After further review, I have determined that the reinstatement of the Defense Advisory Committee for Women in the Services (DACOWITS) should not proceed,” Hegseth wrote in a September 17 memo, according to the Military Times.
The Pentagon had been planning to bring back the committee just days before, according to a September 8 memo, but Hegseth reversed course.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said Hegseth is moving to end a "divisive feminist agenda."
"After further review, Secretary Hegseth has decided to terminate the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services," Wilson wrote. "The Committee is focused on advancing a divisive feminist agenda that hurts combat readiness, while Secretary Hegseth has focused on advancing uniform, sex-neutral standards across the Department."
The Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services has made over 1,000 recommendations to the Pentagon, 97% of which have been adopted.
The committee, established during the Truman administration to recruit women during the Korean War, “is composed of civilian women and men appointed by the Secretary of War to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being, and treatment of women in the Armed Forces of the United States," according to its website.
After the rollback of Roe v. Wade, the committee recommended steps to protect abortion access, the Daily Signal noted.
“As the Defense Department continues to examine this Supreme Court decision and evaluate policies to ensure Service members, dependents, beneficiaries, and Defense Department civilian employees are provided seamless access to essential women’s health care services, as permitted by federal law, the Committee is concerned about potential impacts to servicewomen,” the committee's report said.
During his contentious Senate confirmation process, Hegseth came under fire over his past comments that women do not belong in combat roles.
“I respect every single female service member that has put on the uniform past and present,” he said. “My critiques, senator, recently and in the past, and from personal experience, have been instances where I’ve seen standards lowered."
In a post on X, Hegseth said the latest changes emphasize merit and unity.
"Gender neutral, color blind, merit based," he wrote.
