Pentagon Chief Mattis Freezes Trump’s Ban On Transgender Troops, Calls For More Study

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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced Tuesday that he is freezing President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, saying that he will first establish a panel of experts to provide advice and recommendations on how to carry out Trump’s direction.

The Pentagon confirmed the move in a statement attributed to Mattis, saying that the Pentagon will develop a study and implementation plan “as directed.” Soon-to-be arriving political appointees at the Defense Department “will play an important role in this effort.” The plan will address both the potential for transgender people looking to serve in the military for the first time, and transgender troops who already are serving.

“Our focus must always be on what is best for the military’s combat effectiveness leading to victory on the battlefield,” Mattis said. “To that end, I will establish a panel of experts serving within the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to provide advice and recommendations on the implementation of the president’s direction.”

Mattis added that panel members “will bring mature experience, most notably in combat and deployed operations, and seasoned judgment to this task.” The panel will “assemble and thoroughly analyze all pertinent data, quantifiable and non-quantifiable.”

The Pentagon chief said that once the panel makes its recommendations and he consults with the secretary of homeland security, he will provide his advice to Trump. In the meantime, current policy regarding transgender service members will remain in place, Mattis said, meaning that those already serving can continue to do so.

The issue has been especially sensitive since Trump announced on Twitter on July 26 that “after consultation with my Generals and military experts,” he would not allow transgender to serve in the the U.S. military “in any capacity.” White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders clarified later that day that no change would be made until an implementation policy was developed.

Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added the following day that transgender service members already serving will be treated with dignity and respect as the Pentagon sorts out its new policy, but that it would carry out Trump’s direction.

Mattis had left the door open to some transgender service members continuing to serve, referring Aug. 14 in remarks to Pentagon reporters to Dunford’s statement when asked whether any transgender people would be forced out of the military.

“The chairman immediately went out and said immediately, ‘Everyone stand fast until we get the direction,’ ” Mattis said. “I understand that this is probably more about your suspicion about what could be coming, but the fact is, we have received no direction that would indicate any harm to anybody right now.”

The Obama administration repealed its ban on transgender service member serving in July 2016. A Rand Corp. study commissioned by the Pentagon found that there were between 2,500 and 7,000 transgender people among the 1.3 million on active duty, but Mattis has questioned whether the study is accurate.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post · Dan Lamothe

{Matzav.com}


6 COMMENTS

  1. The President is the Commander in Chief. The President issued an order. Mattis is being insubordinate and undermining Trump’s authority. If Mattis was still in the military he would be reprimanded or possibly face a court martial for not following orders.

    • Not many people have the courage to do what is right morally, ethically and lawfully, and have a hard time changing their politically correct appeasement attitude. President Trump is from the few who have the courage to the right thing but Mattis needs a lot more persuading.

  2. It’s unbelievable that this is even a debate.
    These TG individuals have a mental disorder that needs to be dealt with….

    We must be keep them away from ANY public services.

  3. You (and Trump) are all wrong. If these people can serve as soldiers, let them. I don’t see you signing up to protect Americans.

    • If you can’t even accept who you are why do you expect the military to accept who are are.

      Think.

      Transgender people have a sickness. Liberal or not its sickness.

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