After Significant Study, Pentagon Agrees: No Transgender Military Service

Last year, President Trump surprised the American people, the Pentagon, and even members of his own party when he suddenly issued a tweet banning transgender personnel from serving in the U.S. military. The ban was abrupt and controversial, even though it did nothing other than restore the policy in effect for decades before the Obama administration suddenly reversed it in the final year of the president’s time in office. And because nothing is ever easy for this president – because he is facing down the most corrupt, obstructionist court system a president has ever faced – the ban was quickly blocked by a federal judge.

In the meantime, the Pentagon issued a statement saying they would put the president’s policy on ice until they had conducted a thorough study to see what effect transgender soldiers were having on the morale and effectiveness of the armed forces. Well, that study has been completed, and now the Department of Defense agrees with President Trump: It’s time to ban the majority of transgender troops from military service.

“Among other things, the policies set forth by the Secretary of Defense state that transgender persons with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria — individuals who the policies state may require substantial medical treatment, including medications and surgery — are disqualified from military service except under certain limited circumstances,” said a new memo filed in U.S. District Court.

The policy brings to fruition the recommendations of a study completed by the DOD and the Department of Homeland Security.

“Based on the work of the Panel and the Department’s best military judgment,” stated the memorandum, “the Department of Defense concludes that there are substantial risks associated with allowing the accession and retention of individuals with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria and require, or have already undertaken, a course of treatment to change their gender.

“Furthermore, the Department also finds that exempting such persons from well-established mental health, physical health, and sex-standards, which apply to all Service members, including transgender Service members without gender dysphoria, could undermine readiness, disrupt unit cohesion, and impose an unreasonable burden on the military that is not conducive to military effectiveness and lethality,” the memo concluded.

The LGBT-adoring left is likely not finished fighting this policy, but that’s to be expected. In the meantime, it’s enough to know that we (finally) have people in charge of our military who are more concerned with keeping our troops strong and safe than with advancing a socially progressive agenda.