MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

The Commander in Chief of the forces is a woman but where are the female generals?

CFK addresses the latest promotion of 328 military cadets

Argentine President Cristina Fernández resumed activities on Monday and at the end of the year ceremony at the Military Academy, called for an increase in high-ranking female officials in the armed forces.

“I find it strange that no woman has become general yet. I hope that before my term is over we get to see a female general, brigadier or admiral” stated Cristina Fernandez.

She praised the fact that neither the Infantry nor the Cavalry banned women from joining their ranks, and hoped that “maybe someday a female general will be taking part of these forces”.

“It is necessary for women to have a more active participation” in the configuration of the Armed Forces said the Argentine president. “It is a paradox that female citizens were not allowed into certain aspects of the military due to their gender, especially when the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces is a woman. Fortunately we have all left that behind,” she said

The President then announced a new plan aimed at graduates from all three forces so that they can “tour the entire country for an entire year,” since “you cannot defend what you don’t know”.

“This isn’t a road trip, but a plan to help them get to know the country in depth, because you cannot defend what you don’t know, what you don’t understand or love,” she indicated.

She assured that “one of the greatest problems we’ve had throughout our history is that we haven’t been able to know each other well.”

“Living in the centre of the country is very different from living in the Chaco region or the Puna grassland. We have to get to know our people, our regions, and our problems. This is how we will have better soldiers to defend our nation,” she concluded.

The President attended the joint graduation ceremony of Armed Forces officials at the Military School located in El Palomar, and took the oath to 328 graduates. She was joined by Defence Minister Arturo Puricelli, the Head of the Joint Chiefs, Jorge Chevalier and the heads of the Armed Forces, Luis Pozzi (Army), Jorge Godoy (Navy) and Normando Costantino (Air Force).-