This administration is without a doubt the worst ever.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/military-plans-to-lift-ban-on-transgender-service-members-1466805887Military Plans to Lift Ban on Transgender Service Members
Move expected as early as next week, Defense Department spokesperson says
The Pentagon is expected to announce the decision lifting the ban on transgender service members in the coming weeks, possibly as early as next week, a Defense Department spokesman said. ENLARGE
The Pentagon is expected to announce the decision lifting the ban on transgender service members in the coming weeks, possibly as early as next week, a Defense Department spokesman said. PHOTO: SAUL LOEB/AGENCE FRABCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
By PAUL SONNE
June 24, 2016 6:04 p.m. ET
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WASHINGTON—The U.S. military is preparing to lift its prohibition on transgender service members as early as next week, ushering in a cultural change in the armed forces, a Defense Department spokesman said.
The move comes after the Obama administration lifted measures that prevented women from taking certain combat roles and stopped the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prohibited gay and lesbian soldiers from serving openly.
Eric Pahon, a spokesman for the Defense Department, said the Pentagon would issue the decision lifting the ban on transgender service members in the coming weeks, possibly as early as next week. A number of details must still be finalized before the decision can go ahead, the official said.
“They have really taken their time to make sure they have come up with a policy that balances the needs of service members and mission readiness,” Mr. Pahon said.
For years, transgender soldiers effectively have been barred from serving openly in the U.S. military. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter vowed to change the policy last year. He recently faced criticism for delays in implementing the shift.
Mr. Carter said during an appearance in Colorado Springs last month that the military was working through a careful and thorough implementation plan. He denied that the delays were a reflection of any impasses in the process.
“There aren’t any hang-ups,” Mr. Carter said, describing the matter as a complicated issue. “We know exactly where we’re going. I established the direction some time ago.”
A report commissioned by the Pentagon on the effects of allowing transgender individuals to serve openly found that policy shift would have little to no impact and negligible costs on military cohesion or readiness. The study, conducted by the Rand Corp., found that there are between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender individuals on active duty, amounting to as much as 0.05% of the total U.S. active force. The study pegged the likely estimate at 2,450.
The report estimated that few of those service members would require treatment or surgery and concluded that the cost of implementing the policy would be between $2.4 million and $8.4 million a year. Total military health-care expenditures were $6.27 billion in 2014.
The change in policy requires the Pentagon to outline who would be eligible for surgery or hormone treatment and how long soldiers would need to be in active service before gaining eligibility for reassignment measures.
In a military with strict regulations about everything from tattoos to uniforms, the Pentagon also needs to issue guidance on who showers where and who sleeps where, Mr. Pahon said.
The Rand report found there were few problems with open transgender service in foreign militaries without a prohibition. It said 18 countries reviewed “do not report evidence of negative impacts on unit cohesion and readiness.”
The American Military Partner Association, an organization for LGBT military spouses, estimates the number of transgender service members as far higher, at approximately 15,500. The group welcomed the impending decision to lift the ban.
“Our transgender service members and their families are breathing a huge sigh of relief,” AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack said in a statement. “Soon, anyone who is qualified will finally be able to serve our great nation, regardless of their gender identity.”
