Transgender Service Members Earlier this year, The Secretary of Defense issued a memorandum stating transgender service members will be allowed to openly serve in the military and the government will be implementing a policy to help these service members begin their transition. It is 2016 and American society has made tremendous leaps regarding the acceptance of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. Throughout the last 15 years America has been at war, there have been scores of service members belonging to this community that have served bravely and have shown true heroism. There is no debate that these service members can perform the daily duties associated with their job. For Instance, SSG Patricia King …show more content…
These claims were determined to be unwarranted and there was no evidence implying they were unfit for duty mentally or physically (Ross). Studies done by the Canadian government also found there to be no evidence of poor cohesion, moral and effectiveness due to Transgender members of their military (Okrose, Scott 244). Ultimately, The Department of Defense realized there were Transgender service members currently in the military and there was no medical reason to disqualify them. According to the William Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles there is an estimated 15,000 active duty service members and around 175,000 reserve military members that identify as being transgender (Dietert and Dentice 2). On the Other hand, with the DOD implementing this new policy that will pay for a transition surgery and its recovery process, it greatly effects the readiness and effectiveness of the military. These surgeries are quite expensive and take anywhere from six months to several years to recover from. This makes the service member unable to train and perform their …show more content…
Furthermore, The civil rights of even one person in The United States of America are more important than the moral views of thousands. Traditionally, the United States’ core values express freedom and stress opportunity for all people, including those who identify as transgender. If someone is willing, able and can meet all physical requirements established by the military, they should rightfully and lawfully be allowed to serve. A statement given by the Department of Defense in January 2013 shortly after the discussion of allowing women to serve in combat stated, "We are fully committed to removing as many barriers as possible to joining, advancing, and succeeding in the U.S. Armed Forces. Success in our military based solely on ability, qualifications, and performance is consistent with our values and enhances military readiness” (Ross). The Department of Defense answered several questions that warranted a response regarding the new policy allowing Transgender Claimants to serve and accepted the responsibility of providing medical care during and after their transition. There has been
This is because women have proved themselves to be of equal capability as men, and they have already been serving in combat positions alongside men, though not legally. Fortunately, the Pentagon was able to see this and on December 3, 2015 Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter announced that they would be officially allowing women to serve in all combat positions in the U.S. armed forces. This change in military policy will allow more representation for women in the armed forces but it also represents a major leap towards gender equality, further closing the gap between men and
...earns huge amounts of respect from people. The government doesn’t provide much aid for military veterans, but the respect one gets is amazing. Many people in America send money, cloths, and letters to our troops overseas in in other countries. Plus, when they get released from the military, as long as they aren’t diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, they can get a job right away and can even start a family.
In seeking to determine whether the American Legion should open its doors to non-wartime veterans, we must begin with a look at the organization itself:
The most recent debate questions a women’s engagement in combat. What distinguishes some positions as being acceptable while others are not? Who has the authority to approve exceptions, and what exceptions have been made? On May 13, 2011, a bill placed before the House of Representatives addressed the issues to “repeal the ground combat exclusion policy for female members” (HR 1928).
"Update: Women in the Military." Issues and Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 29 May 2007. Web.
They should see this war for what it is: a chance to help and serve their
This imposes problems on the military and even on the government. One article states that, “Reduced budgets and the threat of sequestration create a sense of uneasiness in the ranks, and those fears are fueled by politicians willing to shut down the federal government rather than compromise.” (Army Magazine) This is because with the increase of budget cuts they start to cause problems for the ones who are working and this creates lost jobs in the military. No one wants to lose their job not even the ones that have put forth a great amount of time and effort in the military. For the ones that have been in the military for a long period of time this can actually have negative effects on their life style and even cause problems when returning
Early April 2016, North Carolina passed a law restricting governments from passing laws that are discriminatory. This law is intended to protect Transgender people from discrimination. Discrimination against Transgenders is against the law, and it has stirred up arguments throughout the nation. With more and more people standing up against discrimination regarding Transgenders, the debate about Transgenders is now nationwide. Unfortunately, Transgenders still continue to face public discrimination due to misinformation and misleading statements from the media.
The Role of Military Leaders in the Transition Assistance Program. n.d. 09 Decemeber 2013 .
Roulo, Claudette. “Defense Department Expands Women`s Combat Role.” defense.gov. U.S. department, 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014
Understanding the diversity in the U.S. Military is easiest if the numbers are looked at according to this nation’s population. American women account for fifty-one percent of the U.S. population and yet they only make up about sixteen percent of our uniformed officers throughout each branch of the military. The numbers are even fewer when looking at the number of women who have made a general officer rank. In the Army, only four percent of the generals are female, Navy admirals are seven percent, Air Force numbers are only nine percent, and the lowest number is the Marine Corps with three percent. (Sagalyn, 2011). The graph below shows the disparity in the numbers from each branch of the military and covers both active and reserve officers.
As men and women serve this country we often forget the importance of what they did and how we give back to them for what they have experienced. Through student surveys that have been gathered, it has been proven in the course of knowledge that 80% of all thirty students surveyed that say they know of someone who is or was a veteran and only 57% of those Veterans receive help. Richelle E. Goodrich stated, “Have you ever stopped to ponder the amount of blood spilt, the volume of tears shed, the degree of pain and anguish endured, the number of noble men a...
Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (U.S.) United States. Department of the Air Force. (2012a). Diversity (LM03). Maxwell-Gunter Annex, AL: Department of the Air Force.
and just 30 or 40 years of service cannot make up for the suffering they have been going
In Women in the Military, Janette Mance explores the debates and problems faced by the increasing number of women involved in the military. After examining issues such as pregnancy, sexual harassment, and rape, Mance concludes that as a society we must continue to strive for gender equality.