Story highlights Zukunft pledged to "not break faith" with transgender service members

The US military is still awaiting formal direction from the White House regarding any potential policy change

Washington (CNN) Coast Guard Commandant Paul Zukunft seemed to break with President Donald Trump over his announcement last week to ban all transgender personnel from serving in the US military.

Nearly a week after Trump wrote a tweet that appeared to reinstate a ban on transgender service members, Zukunft pledged to "not break faith" with transgender service members in remarks to a Washington think tank on Tuesday -- adding that he immediately reached out to all 13 transgender members of the Coast Guard immediately following the tweets.

Specifically, Zukunft described his call to Lt. Taylor Miller, who is reportedly the first openly transitioning member of the Coast Guard and was recently featured in the Washington Post

"I told Taylor I will not turn my back," Zukunft told the Center for Strategic and International Studies forum. "We have made an investment in you and you have made an investment in the Coast Guard, and I will not break faith."

The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security but "aligns closely with Department of Defense on accessions and workforce/HR policies and will be working with them on this new policy going forward," according to a department spokesperson.

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