In a rather unexpected move, President Joe Biden, aboard Air Force One, handed out the second star to Andreé ‘Ana’ Carter, pushing her to the rank of major general in the U.S. Army Reserve. Both she and her husband, Congressmen Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, happened to be present to welcome the president, who was arriving in Kenner for a later announcement related to cancer research at Tulane University. The Carters had initially arranged to have the honoring done by retired U.S. Army General Russel Honoré but ended up with the president himself stepping in.
On a whimsical impulse, Biden ushered the couple onto Air Force One, and in a somewhat pompous manner, he decided to perform the pinning himself. Following this, rather irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, display, Biden rushed off to his next engagement. On the other hand, the Carters, despite the abrupt disruption of their planned ceremony, proceeded towards the National WWII Museum to conduct the official ceremony with Honoré.
Ana Carter’s elevation from the rank of brigadier general to major general, granted July 31 by the U.S. Senate, seems swathed in the all-too-prevalent culture of affirmative action. Such promotions are concerning because they might come at the cost of genuine competence and merit. While it is crucial to promote diversity, it shouldn’t come at the expense of national defense.
She’s credited with the distinction of being the first woman to hold command over the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), situated at the Fort Liberty base in North Carolina. Despite this achievement, one must consider whether it is truly meaningful, or if it’s another token gesture aimed at soothing the progressive agenda.
Ana Carter has been serving since her commission back in 1991 and also had a deployment to Iraq. Such information suggests some form of experience, but it doesn’t speak to the quality of that experience. The same tokenism haunting her promotion could also apply to her deployment.
Andreé ‘Ana’ Carter was born into military life, being raised in a family stationed in Hawaii. This offers very little meaningful context about her competence or capability. It only hints at a familiarity with the military life but doesn’t necessarily indicate her as a capable leader.
Troy and Ana Carter have built a life on the West Bank in New Orleans, raising their two children there. This lifestyle raises concerns about how focused a person can be on their military duties when they also have a family to look after. Excellence in performance requires complete dedication, a balanced work-life, and it’s questionable if this is the case for Ana Carter.
Lauded as the first woman to command the operations based out of Fort Liberty, North Carolina, one must analyze whether it’s a case of her competence or the desperate push towards gender equality in all fields, including the military. Such appointments can seem empowering on the surface, but are they truly helping the cause or simply superficial band-aids over deeper issues?
The handing over of her second star by Biden was a clear indication of his attempts to curry favor with the Carters and the New Orleans partisans. The president using the dignified platform of Air Force One as a stage for his showy gestures reveals an unfortunate lack of restraint and a misdirected focus.
Ana Carter’s promotion complicates the broader discussion around diversity and feminism. While there’s no doubt that all genders should be given equal opportunities, the seeming reliance on quota-based promotions brings us back to the question: Are these appointments based on merit or meant to embellish the progressive image?
The stated fact that Ana Carter has been serving since 1991 may impress someone not too familiar with military affairs. However, an experienced eye might question the depth of her deployment and its implications. Was she on the front lines, or is her experience, like her promotion, more a token gesture than anything of substance?
Ana Carter’s growing up in a military family stationed in Hawaii does provide her with some familiarity with the military culture. But it neither guarantees nor even suggests her aptness for a leadership role. An upbringing does not solely refine leadership skills; these are gained through experience and dedication.
Having a family while serving in the military could either be seen as a balancing act or a distraction. It’s hard to objectively measure how much focus gets divided between home responsibilities and duty. Although admirable that Ana and Troy Carter balance work with raising a family, one cannot help but question where their priorities lie.
Biden’s Showmanship Overrules Merit: Ana Carter’s Questionable Promotion appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
