Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work sent out a memo on May 8 to all service secretaries and chiefs that they have a May 31 dedline to assess the military's readiness to begin accepting transgender applicants on July 1.

The memo also contains language that one of the architects of the transgender policy interprets as an opportunity for the services to back out of recruiting transgender troops by raising the issue of how they could affect readiness for combat.

The personnel policies of this Department are designed to enhance the warfighting readiness and lethality of the force that protects our country. We do not intend to reconsider prior decisions unless they cause readiness problems that could lessen our ability to fight, survive and win on the battlefield.

--Work

This could be seen as an opportunity to reconsider the policy. It is certainly possible, and it would invite litigation. I do have full confidence in (Defense Secretary) Jim Mattis to do the right thing here.

--Brad Carson, previous administration

When the Pentagon lifted the ban on transgender troops last year, only members who were currently serving were accepted. West Point cadet Riley Dosh thought since she was at a military academy, the new rule covered her as well, since military academy personnel are "already in the military." Apparently so did officials at the Pentagon. So Dosh came out.

Why am I different than the numerous transgender officers enlisted who are already currently serving and have been allowed to transition?

--Dosh

Largely it is because people like Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council hate transgender people. Spriggs believes "having transgender people in the armed forces would hurt military readiness." Spriggs had called on Trump to rescind the new rules.

The policy might actually make the military a magnet for people seeking ‘gender reassignment’ at taxpayer expense.

--Spiggs

Ms. Dosh, who will graduate on Saturday, said she “came out to myself” in April of last year, when she was a junior.

In June, the defense secretary at the time, Ashton B. Carter, announced that the ban would be lifted; in August, at the outset of her senior year, Ms. Dosh saw a behavioral health specialist at West Point, who gave her a diagnosis of gender dysphoria — the first step toward a transition.

She was hoping to begin transitioning while at West Point, but was told she would have to wait until she received her commission. She still wears a male uniform and keeps her hair cut short, as is required for male cadets, and said she had been told she cannot wear makeup.

Both the Air Force cadet and Ms. Dosh are welcome to apply for civilian jobs; an Air Force Academy spokesman said officials there were “strongly recommending” its cadet. Ms. Dosh, a math major, said her dream was to find work as a math teacher.

The Army is losing a good officer for bad reasons. If Riley had lied about who she is, she would be pinning on her bars on Saturday.

--Sue Fulton, West Point Board of Visitors