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The Pentagon’s review of the U.S. military’s ban on openly transgender service is nearing the end of its scheduled six-month time period and a spokesperson said Monday initial findings are on track to be released in January.

The Washington Blade sought updates from the White House and the Defense Department on the same day President Obama visited the Pentagon for an update on strategy to defeat the Islamic State of Syria & Iraq.

Over the summer, Obama’s visit to the Pentagon to discuss ISIS strategy preceded by one week Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s announcement the Defense Department would begin a six-month review intended to lift the military ban on transgender service.

But after Obama’s visit to the Pentagon on Monday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told the Washington Blade he doesn’t think the issue came up at the subsequent meeting at the Defense Department.

“I don’t believe that that item was on the agenda,” Earnest said. “I think this was a meeting focused on our counter-ISIL efforts.”

Earnest added the review of transgender service “is something the Pentagon continues to work on and something Secretary Carter continues to be paying close attention to.”

Asked whether the Pentagon will lift the ban on May 27 in accordance with media reports over the summer on the review, Earnest deferred to the Defense Department.

Matthew Allen, a Pentagon spokesperson, said the review is on track to meet its goals and “will present the secretary of defense with a report of outcomes and recommendations in January 2016.”

“In accordance with Secretary Carter’s directive last June, the working group started with the presumption that transgender persons can serve openly without adverse impact on military effectiveness and readiness, unless and except where objective, practical impediments are identified,” Allen said.

Allen added the Defense Department is committed to removing all barriers to allowing capable people to serve in the U.S. military, but will maintain its high standards.

“There are some practical challenges that require thoughtful resolution,” Allen said. “The Department needs to be deliberate and think through the impacts of full integration of open transgender service members into the armed forces in order to get it right, and we’re committed to getting it right.”

Although findings are expected early next year, Allen said the exact form of that product “is still taking shape.” Among the issues it will address are accessions, retention, transition and medical care for trans service members and potential applications to the armed forces, Allen said.

“Any end to the current prohibition on accessing transgender persons, or their open service in the Military Services, will be informed by the Working Group’s recommendations and final decisions made by the Secretary of Defense,” Allen said.

In August, USA Today reported the Pentagon expected to lift the ban on transgender service on May 27, but Allen denied the veracity of that target date.

“The May 27th date that has been reported in the press was obtained through leaked working papers and does not reflect an official DoD position or current planning timeline,” Allen said.

Although “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal in 2011 enabled openly gay people to serve in the armed forces, transgender people are still barred from service because of medical regulation. DOD Instruction 6130.03 calls for separation of service members who have undergone gender reassignment or have “psychosexual conditions” that include transvestitism or transsexualism.

Matthew Thorn, interim executive director for the LGBT military group OutServe-SLDN, said he expects the initial findings to present a path forward on transgender service similar to the procedure of lifting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“Within that context of the panel’s recommendations and outlines for lifting the ban on transgender service, I would expect that they will lay out a similar path to how things were handled during the repeal of DADT, that is, a set period of time for each of the service branches and DoD to get their policies, procedures, etc. in order,” Thorn said.

Although the Pentagon won’t commit to the May 27 target date, Thorn said he anticipates openly transgender service in the months shortly thereafter.

“I think it would be a good guesstimate to look at a time frame between May and September of 2016 when the necessary policies will be fully incorporated into the armed service branches and the ban will officially be no more,” Thorn said.