US Army Female Soldiers
Female soldiers from the US Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division training on a firing range in Fort Campbell, Kentucky on September 18, 2012.
Mark Humphrey/AP Photos
  • Postpartum soldiers now have a full year instead of 180 days to meet body fat requirements.
  • It follows Tucker Carlson's misogynistic comments on his Fox News show on Wednesday.
  • Both male and female soldiers and the US Army itself took to Twitter to denounce the comments.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

The US Army has announced that it will be easing body fat rules for postpartum soldiers after Tucker Carlson mocked pregnant women in the forces in a misogynistic rant on his Fox News show this week.

In a statement published online on Friday, the army said that the timeline to meet body fat requirements for soldiers who have just given birth has been extended from 180 days to the full year.

It added that soldiers who are currently between 181 to 365 days postpartum will also fall under the newly amended regulations.

Body fat standards for women range from 30% to 36%, depending on age, and a requirement for both active and reserve soldiers.

It comes after Tucker Carlson made widely condemned comments in a minute-long segment during his show on Wednesday night.

He said: "So we've got new hairstyles and maternity flight suits. Pregnant women are gonna fight our wars. It's a mockery of the US military."

He then compared it to the Chinese army which he said is becoming "more masculine" before continuing with a transphobic tirade.

The complaints come after President Joe Biden highlighted changes the army is making to accommodate female troops, who make up roughly 16% of the force, on International Women's Day.

Hundreds of female and male military personnel took to Twitter after the show was broadcast to denounce Carlson's comments.

Others have called for military bases to boycott Fox News.

Travis Akers a US Navy military officer, said in a now-deleted tweet: "The values of Fox News are not aligned with those of the United States military, and undermine good order and discipline among the ranks."

On Thursday, the Army itself also joined in by posting photos of women performing various roles in the military on its account.

Insider previously reported that Pentagon spokesman John Kirby called Carson's remarks "ridiculous" and added that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin "shares the revulsion of so many others."

Kirby added: "What we absolutely won't do is take personnel advice from a talk-show host."

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