In a recent exchange, United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded to a line of questioning regarding his use of the phrase “our boys and bombers” in the context of a military mission. The discussion originated from a social media post that acknowledged female pilots who participated in the same operation, noting that initial celebratory messages had only congratulated “the boys.”
Hegseth began his response by stating, “So when I say something like ‘our boys and bombers’—see, this is the kind of thing the press does, right?” He immediately clarified that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs had, in fact, mentioned a female bomber pilot involved in the mission. “Of course the chairman mentioned a female bomber pilot. That’s fantastic. She’s fantastic. She’s a hero,” Hegseth said. He expressed his hope that “men and women sign up to do such brave, audacious things.”
The host then defended his choice of words, arguing that the phrase “our boys and bombers” is a common expression. “But when you spin it as ‘because I say “our boys and bombers,”‘ it’s a common phrase. I’ll keep saying things like that, whether they’re men or women,” he stated. Hegseth emphasized his pride in the service members involved, saying, “[I’m] very proud of that female pilot, just as I’m very proud of those male pilots. And I don’t care if it’s a male or female in that cockpit. People don’t care.”
Hegseth concluded his remarks by framing the inquiry as part of a broader issue. “But it’s the obsession with race and gender in this department thats changed priorities,” he asserted. His final statement was, “We don’t play your little games.”
