President Trump wants to ban most transgender troops but brass has few issues with them

Tom Vanden Brook | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Transgender troops have been serving without incident and deploying regularly, top civilian and military leaders have said in recent weeks, statements at odds with a proposed policy demanded by President Trump that would largely ban them from serving.

Moreover, their numbers in the ranks appear to be small — just 27 in the Marine Corps, according to Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps. The number in the other services has not been made public because the Pentagon has refused to say how many are serving, or to answer questions about the policy, citing court challenges that have prevented it from taking effect.

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee for an annual appraisal of the military. He’s likely to face questioning about the policy he created that would ban most transgender troops from serving or joining the ranks. The policy would overturn an Obama-era initiative from 2016 that allowed transgender troops to serve openly, seek treatment and join the services.

Trump declared by tweet in July 2017 that the government would not “accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.” He cited “tremendous medical costs and disruption” caused by transgender troops.

In recent weeks, the service chiefs and secretaries have testified or stated publicly that the service of transgender troops has caused few problems.

There are no issues in the Army the largest of the services, said Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and the top enlisted soldier, Command Sergeant Major of Army Dan Dailey, who acknowledged that he served on the panel Mattis appointed to advise him on the issue.

“We have a finite number,” Milley told the Senate. “We know who they are and it is monitored very closely because I am concerned about that and want to make sure that they are in fact treated with dignity and respect and no, I have received precisely zero reports of issues of cohesion, discipline, morale and all those sorts of things. No.”

Dailey told reporters last week: “I agree with the chief: We haven't heard any issues, concerns. I personally have not had any issues or concerns.”

Over the last two weeks, Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein echoed Milley and Dailey, saying they were not aware negative issues regarding transgender troops in their services.

Neller acknowledged no problems with unit cohesion, disciplinary problems and morale associated with transgender Marines. Some commanders, however, have had issues with transgender Marines being unavailable for service because of medical issues, he said.

“We're all about readiness, we — we're looking for deployability, but in the areas that you talked about, no I have not — I have not heard of or had reported to me any issues,” Neller said in response to a question from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., a member of the Armed Services Committee.

In February, Mattis sent a memo to Trump with his proposed policy that would ban most transgender troops from serving. It calls for disqualifying volunteers to join the military unless they have been stable in their gender for three years, while currently serving transgender troops may remain in the ranks if they do not require gender transition and remain deployable. Trump signed Mattis’ memo in late March.

AMA's reservations

On April 4, the American Medical Association sent Mattis a letter, expressing concern about his proposed policy.

“We believe there is no medically valid reason — including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria — to exclude transgender individuals from military service,” wrote James Madara, a physician and CEO for the AMA. “Transgender individuals have served, and continue to serve, our country with honor, and we believe they should be allowed to continue doing so.”

Madara went on to support the research of the non-partisan RAND Corp. in 2016 that estimated there may be as many as several thousand transgender troops among the active-duty force of more than one million troops. Their ability to deploy and cost of medical treatment would have a minimal impact on military readiness, according to the report.

Mattis dismissed the RAND study for having “significant shortcomings.” He based his new policy on recommendations from a “Panel of Experts” made up of senior uniformed and civilian military leaders, including combat veterans.

The Pentagon has refused to name the experts. Dana White, the chief Pentagon spokeswoman, said federal court challenges prevent discussing details of the policy or naming the panel members.

Dailey, the top enlisted soldier, said Friday that he was a panel member.