Army, Marines request two year delay on transgender equality

It seems like just yesterday that I published a diary about three retired generals (all women) counseled Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to push forward against conservative attempts to end all transgender military service.

Oh, wait...it was!

To quote Chad and Jeremy, that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone.

Today we have an Army and Marine Corps seeking two-year delays in implementing a policy for recruiting and commissioning transgender troops.

The Deputy Secretary of Defense directed the military departments to assess their readiness to access transgender applicants into the military. The assessment is narrowly focused on readiness to access transgender applicants, not on gender transition by currently serving Service members.

--Army Lt. Col. Myles Caggins, Pentagon, spokesman

The Army and Marine Corps, in seeking the delays, have raised concerns about having enough data about transgender troops to make a proper assessment about accepting them for service, one source said.

Another concern has been the availability of transgender troops to deploy to war zones while under treatment for gender transitions, according to three government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the policy because it is still under consideration. The Navy is ready to implement an acceptance policy, the sources said.

Apparently RAND Corp. research has not been sufficient..

The estimated 6,000 transgender troops among the 1.3 million men and women on active duty would have a "minimal impact on readiness and health-care costs,

About 130 transgender troops a year would have "reduced deployability" because of treatment for gender transition. That compared with 50,000 non-deployable [cisgender] soldiers in 2015.

--RAND 2016 report commissioned by the Pentagon

The lack of a policy to accept transgender troops was highlighted this spring when the Army and Air Force could not commission transgender graduates of their prestigious academies because the Pentagon lacks a policy for accepting them.

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Steven D's picture

this is bad news.

From a not being sent to kill people halfway around the world for the sole benefit oil companies, The Saudis and the MIC, I'm conflicted. Trans people who wish to serve in the military should be allowed to do so.

However, our military is currently being directed by murderous sociopaths or if you prefer, EVIL people.

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"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

earthling1's picture

Are we to expect a full military coup in 2 years? When they will do as they please? Roundups? Expulsions? Pogroms?

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

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