Talk about base politics. Yesterday, July 26, 2017, the republican President Donald Trump woke-up and decided he needed a distraction, something to appease his base. He tweeted out a proclamation that the military transgender personnel will no longer be permitted to sign up for military service. When he did this, the pentagon were caught unawares. The president did not even bother to inform the military of this change in position.
But this action pleases his base as this is another of President Barack Obama’s decisions that President Trump gets to reverse. And so, this is NOW how policy is created in President Trump’s administration. Oh yes, he did get to change the subject of news coverage away from the FBI’s Trump-Russian inquiry.
Here’s the rest of the story…
On July 26, 2017, W J Hennigan of the LA Times penned the following report, “Trump bars transgender people from serving ‘in any capacity’ in the U.S. military.”
Excerpts:
“President Trump messaged 7/26/17 that he has decided to bar transgender individuals from serving “in any capacity” in the U.S. armed forces, a policy that could affect thousands of Americans now in uniform and others hoping to serve.”
“In a decision he disclosed on Twitter, Trump said the military would not “allow or accept” transgender service members, reversing a policy begun by the Obama administration last year.”
“It wasn’t immediately clear what would happen to transgender service members now in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Estimates vary widely, from about 1,300 to 16,000 members of the armed services who are transgender.”
“
“A Pentagon spokesman described Trump’s Twitter post as “new guidance” rather than an order from the commander-in-chief, and said the Pentagon would issue “revised guidance” to the military “in the near future.”
“LGBT groups vowed to challenge Trump in court, and Sen. John McCain(R-Ariz), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, all but urged the Pentagon to ignore the tweet, saying there is “no reason” to change current policy.”
In a series of tweets, the president said he had consulted with “my Generals and military experts” in deciding to reverse the current policy.
“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” he wrote.
A study commissioned by the Pentagon last year found the expected medical costs to be negligible.
After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……
….Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming…..
….victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you
“We will continue to work closely with the White House to address the new guidance provided by the Commander-in-Chief on transgender individuals serving the military,” Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said in a statement. “We will provide revised guidance to the Department in the near future.”
“Democrats in Congress, as well as several senior Republicans, offered strong support for transgender individuals serving honorably, and condemned Trump’s tweet.”
“Any American who meets current medical and readiness standards should be allowed to continue serving,” McCain said in a statement. “There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train, and deploy to leave the military – regardless of their gender identity.”
“He said the Defense department is conducting a study on the medical obligations, impact on military readiness and other questions regarding transgender individuals who want to join the military.”
“I do not believe that a new policy decision is appropriate until that study is complete and thoroughly reviewed by the Secretary of Defense, our military leadership and the Congress,” McCain added.”
“Sen. Orrin Hatch, (R-Utah) also announced his opposition.”
“I don’t think we should be discriminating against anyone,” he said. “Transgender people are people and deserve the best we can do for them.”
“We (LGBT community) are going to fight for them as hard as they are fighting for the country,” the OutServe-Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a Washington-based group that seeks LGBT equality in the military, said in a statement.”
“The legal group estimates about 16,000 transgender individuals currently serve in the military.”
“Last July, the Pentagon lifted a long-standing ban against transgender men and women serving openly in the military, removing one of its last discriminatory hurdles and placing protection of gender rights on par with race, religion, color, sex and sexual orientation.”
“The policy part of the Obama administration’s Force of the Future initiative, which aimed to make the strait-laced, male-dominated U.S. military more inclusive.”
“In 2015, the administration opened all combat positions to women and in 2016 appointed the first openly gay Secretary of the Army, Eric K. Fanning.”
“The Obama policy allowed transgender service members currently on duty to immediately serve openly. Armed services had to come up with medical and training plans and until July 1, 2017, for full implementation. The Trump administration initially pushed that date back, and now has reversed the policy.”
“The Pentagon says it does not know how many transgender people serve in uniform because until last year, they faced discharge if they revealed their identities.”
“A 2016 study by Rand Corp., the Santa Monica-based think tank, estimated 6,630 transgender individuals were in active military service. The total force is about 1.3 million.”
“The Rand study, commissioned by thestimated that between 30 and 140 new hormone treatments a year could be initiated by transgender service members under the Obama-era opening. It also predicted 25 to 130 gender transition-related surgeries a year among active service members.”
“As a result, it said, military healthcare costs could increase by $2.4 million to $8.4 million a year — a 0.13% increase in current medical spending.”
“Gender reassignment surgery and other treatment deemed medically necessary by a physician was to be covered under the policy.”
“Prior to the Obama rule, the Pentagon banned transgender troops from openly serving. If they revealed their transgender identity, they could be kicked out or denied reenlistment.”
Chelsea Manning, the military most famous transgender member tweeted:
so, biggest baddest most $$ military on earth cries about a few trans people
but funds the F-35?
sounds like cowardice
#WeGotThis
Gronda Morin 
There’s good reason for Trump to tweet these preposterous issues, he needed to create a distraction from the Russian investigation. The more outlandish and controversial the tweet, the more ppl pay attention to it and forget the real bigger issue. He needs to get Sessions out and replace him to get to Mueller. Let’s keep our eye on the ball and not be distracted with his stupid games.
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Dear1EarthUnited,
It looks like Senator Lindsey Graham will be introducing legislation to bar DDT from firing Mr. Mueller and he seems to think he has support for this.
It is pretty sad when the US Congress has to create laws to bar the president from lifting sanctions against Russia and to keep him from firing the FBI Special Counsel Mueller.
Hugs, Gronda
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Distraction, distraction, distraction. 😦 — Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
And what is truly disheartening, is that this tactic seems to be working.
Hugs, Gronda
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Ok, this is moving into farce.
Poor America, no nation has a spotless records, but you did not deserve this.
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Dear Roger,
It has been a farce. I do hope other countries learn from this USA nightmare as I wouldn’t wish this on any nation.
Hugs, Gronda
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There are, and have been worse, but not in the USA. Thank goodness for your constitution.
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The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff does not construe a twitter feed as an order. He said he will do so when he receives a direct order. This does not construe that the decision was wise or well executed, because it reflects the same level of incompetent roll out as the first travel ban, which was announced before folks were ready.
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Gronda, let me add an important addendum. General and later President Dwight D. Eisenhower said that Alan Turing, the father of modern day computing who broke the Nazi Enigma code, shortened World War II by two years and saved over 1 million lives. And, he hid the fact he was gay. He was later imprisoned and agreed to be chemically castrated so he could work on his computer development. If he had been discovered earlier, would he have been removed from service?
My point is not only is restricting transgender folks from military service discriminatory, but is it wise because by so restricting, what if the next Alan Turing has to leave before he can save lives? Keith
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— Keith, your are so right to point out that brains and spirit win out over divisiveness and discrimination. Trump is notorious for being shortsighted and immature, he’s probably a closet homophobe as well.
Besides what does gender or sexual orientation have to do with modern warfare? Smart bombs and drones could be launched by anyone, even a machine could do it. Trump’s rationale falls way short. My conjecture is he’s creating a diversion, hoping ppl forget about the Russian collusion investigation.
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Agreed on the diversion strategy, which is his modus operandi. I think it speaks volumes that the military command said we don’t take orders from a tweet.
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Dear Keith,
Did you get to watch the 2014 movie based on the story of Alan Turing, titled the Imitation Game where Benedict Cumberbatch played the role of Mr. Turing.
Another movie that I have watched several times which reflects that theme of talent possibly being lost because of senseless prejudice is “Hidden Figures.”
Every time prejudice raises its ugly head, it ends up hurting us as a whole.
Hugs, Gronda
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Very poignant movies, I esp. enjoyed Cumberbatch’s role as Alan Turing, however heart wrenching in the end when the British gov’t could not accept his sexuality and had to chemically castrate him. Geez, those were the sign of the times, they couldn’t give him a pass even tho he was instrumental in shortening the war and saving millions of lives.
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Dear Keith,
I am sure the military would have preferred the courtesy of a heads up on this. I wonder hoe General Mattis will respond to this when he returns from vacations.
Hugs, Gronda
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