Army suspends retired three-star general over tweet sent to Jill Biden
FILE IMAGE - Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky delivers remarks during the promotion ceremony in his honor at French Theater, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, on April 3, 2017. Credit: Sidney Lee / Joint Base Lewis-McChord EMC
WASHINGTON - A retired three-star general of the U.S. Army has been suspended from a "mentor" position after sarcastically congratulating first lady Jill Biden for learning "what a woman is."
The Army confirmed the suspension to Fox News Saturday and confirmed speculation that the veteran was under internal investigation for mocking Biden.
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Army for clarification on the matter. A spokesperson for the Army confirmed that Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky has been suspended. It also confirmed that he was part of an "inquiry," but provided no further details.
"Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center, has suspended retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky from performing duties as a Highly Qualified Expert — Senior Mentor pending the outcome of the commander’s inquiry," the Army told Fox News.
Volesky mocked Jill Biden on social media in June, responding to a tweet about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
"For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies. Today, that right was stolen from us," Jill Biden wrote in the aftermath of the Dobbs case. "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."
"Glad to see you finally know what a woman is," Volesky replied.
The tweet has since been deleted.
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Volesky is not serving as an active member of the military and is a civilian employee.
It is unknown how long the inquiry will take, and the Army has not released any additional information.