Top Canadian military chief challenges US senator over combat roles statement
Canadian military commander **Gen Jennie Carignan** took a stand against US Senatorʼs viewpoint on mixed-gender combat units. The exchange highlights different approaches to military service between the two nations
In a notable cross-border exchange Gen Jennie Carignan Canadas first-ever female military commander stepped up to address remarks from US Senator Jim Risch. The discussion kicked off when Risch (who leads as top republican on Foreign Relations Committee) got questions about Pete Hegseths views on mixed-gender combat teams
The debate started after Hegseth — whos being looked at for defense secretary position — made comments suggesting men and women shouldnt fight together in combat units. This sparked a quick response from Carignan whoʼs real-world experience puts her in a unique spot to speak on this topic: as she leads the entire Canadian armed forces
Its worth noting that Canada has long-since moved past such debates (having integrated women into all combat roles decades ago). The Canadian military chiefʼs response shows how different our northern neighbors approach is to military service — they focus on skills and leadership rather than gender-based limits
