Highly-Decorated Army General ‘Suspended’ After Appearing to Mock Jill Biden on Twitter

Jill Biden speaks at a rally at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Penn., on Nov. 2, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The Army has allegedly suspended a highly-decorated three-star general after he appeared to poke fun at First Lady Jill Biden in a social media comment following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky served as a former spokesman for the Army as well as a highly qualified expert senior mentor, in which he won a $92-an-hour contract with the Army to advise top military officers and other personnel on war games strategy and other military activities, according to USA Today.

During his lengthy career, the three-star general commanded soldiers at all levels, including the Army’s I Corps, one of its top formations, as well as the 101st Airborne Division. He was also deployed to Iraq for multiple operations, including the fight against ISIS, and to Liberia to provide humanitarian assistance.

Volesky received multiple awards and medals during his time in the Army, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (4 OLC), Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and more.

Volesky was the chief of the Army’s Public Affairs division from 2012 to 2014 and retired from the Army in 2020.

However, the general has reportedly been relieved from his duties after responding to a June 24 statement posted to the first lady’s Twitter account regarding the Supreme court’s decision to overturn the 1973 precedent that legalized abortion in the United States.

In a 6–3 ruling, the court upheld a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy and overturned Roe v. Wade, handing the power back down to states which can now make the rules around abortion laws.

‘Today, That Right Was Stolen From Us’

In response to the court’s decision, Jill Biden wrote that “for nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies. Today, that right was stolen from us.

“And while we may be devastated by this injustice, we will not be silent. We will not sit back as the progress we have already won slips away,” the Twitter post continued.

“Glad to see you finally know what a woman is,” Volesky responded, according to USA Today, which first reported the story.

Volesky’s post appeared to echo an exchange in March between Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Judge Ketanji Jackson Brown at the justice’s confirmation hearing, according to reports. During that exchange, Blackburn asked the judge to define the word “woman” in the context of transgender rights.

Senior uniformed officers generally tend to shy away from making political statements and Volesky’s post has since been deleted.

Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith confirmed to USA Today that Volesky had been suspended from his consultancy role pending the outcome of an inquiry into whether the Twitter post in question violated decorum rules for retired officers.

Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith told The Epoch Times: “Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center, has suspended retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky from performing duties as an HQE-SM pending the outcome of the commander’s inquiry. An HQE-SM (Highly Qualified Expert - Senior Mentor) is a retired flag, general or other military officer or senior retired civilian official who provides expert experience-based mentoring, teaching, training, advice and recommendations to senior military officers, staff and students as they participate in war games, warfighting courses, operational planning, operational exercises and decision-making exercises.”

The latest incident is not the first time that Volesky has aired his views about politics. In 2021, he responded to a post by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) about the investigation into the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S Capitol, according to USA Today.

“I’m honored to serve on the January 6th select committee. Our oath to the Constitution must be above partisan politics,” Cheney wrote on Twitter at the time.

“This is all about partisan politics,” Volesky wrote in response, according to USA Today.