Former Florida Rep. Allen West (R) took to Twitter on Wednesday to express his dismay at plans to lift a combat ban and allow women to fight on the front lines.
Thursday morning West tweeted:
With the ban lifted by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, women in the military will be permitted to serve in combat positions, which could lead to high-power leadership roles and other opportunities for promotion not afforded to them in the past.
The Tea Party congressman was active in the military until 2004 when he retired, later embarking on a political career. During the 2012 election season, West's Democratic challenger, Patrick Murphy, released an ad targeting West's controversial exit from the military.
"West was criminally charged with violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice, found guilty of three counts of aggravated assault and relieved of his command. The final Army report: West 'performed illegal acts ... merited court martial ... faced 11 years in prison,'" the ad stated.
Murphy defeated West in November. West has since announced plans to transition to conservative media, saying that he won't run for his old seat in 2014.
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