No immediate ban on transgender people in the military, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman says
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The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says in a memo that there won’t be any immediate change in the policy regarding transgender people serving in the military.
Gen. Joseph Dunford said the policy won’t change until the military receives President Donald Trump’s direction to change it and the military issues “implementation guidance,” report the Associated Press, Politico and Reuters.
Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that transgender people will not be allowed to serve in the military in any capacity.
A policy adopted last year allowed transgender recruits to enlist or be commissioned in the officer corps by July 1. Defense Secretary James Mattis announced last month that he was pushing back the implementation date by six months. The policy had also lifted the ban on transgender people already in the military, and they were openly serving.
Until the directive is received and guidance is issued, “We will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect,” Dunford wrote in the message to military leaders. “As importantly, given the current fight and the challenges we face, we will all remain focused on accomplishing our assigned mission.”
