The US defense chief vows to protect ‘health and well-being’ of American troops
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the Pentagon is reviewing its policies and available options “as permitted by federal law,” to protect American servicemembers’ access to pregnancy terminations following the Supreme Court move to repeal Roe v. Wade.
“The Department is examining this decision closely and evaluating our policies to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law,” Austin said in a brief statement on Friday, after the Supreme Court struck down a 1973 ruling that guaranteed the absolute right to a first-trimester abortion and limited rights in the second.
“Nothing is more important to me or to this Department than the health and well-being of our Service members, the civilian workforce and DOD families,” the US defense chief added.
