I CAN ASSURE YOUR RIGHT-WING RELATIVES THAT MILITARY MATERNITY FLIGHT SUITS ARE NOT JOE BIDEN'S IDEA

This appears to be the next phony right-wing outrage:

Democrat Logic: Joe Biden Says Military Will Focus on Making “Maternity Flight Suits” — So Pregnant Women Can Drop Into Enemy Territory During Wartime?

... The Biden White House announced on Monday, which happened to be International Women’s Day, that the US military is focusing on “maternity flight suits” for pregant women.

Because it’s important that pregnant women are able to drop into enemy territory during wartime.

Tucker Carlson, of course, is all over the story:

Tucker Carlson accuses Joe Biden of trying to feminize the military, argues China is ramping up it's military masculinity. pic.twitter.com/8lDKEPyws6

— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) March 10, 2021

So all this is Joe Biden's fault, right? Well, let's look at some headlines about maternity flight suits frm the military press:

* November 19, 2020, Air Force Magazine: "Pregnant Airmen Needed to Test Out USAF’s Maternity Flight Suits"

* September 14, 2020, Wright-Paterson Air Force Base press release: "Division Leading Efforts to Field Maternity Flight Suits"

* July 24, 2020, Military.com: "Air Force Takes First Step to Buy Maternity Flight Suits"

Notice the dates on those articles? Joe Biden was not president in 2020.

In fact, as that July article notes, the Air Force loosened its restrictions on pregnant pilots in 2019:

Last year, the Air Force announced it had begun allowing some female pilots to stay in the cockpit longer while pregnant without need of a medical waiver.

The change applied to remotely piloted aircrew, missile operations duty crews and certain fully qualified pilot positions without additional restrictions put on their time in service, the Air Force said last September.

Previously, all female Air Force pilots were removed from flight duty after they confirmed their pregnancy, according to spokeswoman Capt. Carrie Volpe. That included drone pilots who work in operations facilities on the ground.

Women would have to file extensive paperwork for a waiver just to be allowed duty time between weeks 1 and 34 of pregnancy, Volpe said at the time....

While the waiver process is no longer required, airmen still need a "return to flight status" check if they fly in an aircraft, which is a precautionary appointment made with a medical professional to certify the pilot for flight.

Pilots are still prohibited from flying in the first trimester of pregnancy, deploying overseas and flying ejection-seat aircraft, such as fighter jets.

And by the way, women have served in some combat roles in China's People's Liberation Army since the mid-1990s, and the PLA trained its first female fighter pilots in 2009. And here's a clip from the 2019 National Day parade in China: