Sailors, Marines will be able to declare transgender status soon

The Navy is preparing to provide medical and administrative support for sailors who are wishing to make a gender transition, as well as be able to accept transgender recruits by next summer.

According to Navy Times, sailors and Marines with the needed medical diagnosis to be considered transgender will be able to petition to have their gender markers changed in the DEERS database.

As of August 5th, transgender Marines and sailors may now serve openly in the military without discrimination, separation or barring from re-enlistment.’

“These policies and procedures are premised on the conclusion that open service by transgender Sailors and Marines, while being subject to the same standards and procedures as other members with regard to their medical fitness for duty, physical fitness, uniform and grooming, deployability, and retention, is consistent with military readiness,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus wrote in a memo.

Next summer, Marine and navy boot camp will begin accepting transgender recruits for enlisted personnel, as well as OCS, ROTC and the Naval Academy.

By October 1st, training handbooks will be supplied to commanding officers regarding how to oversee transgender affairs, including the handling of transition from one gender to another.

At that point, the DoD healthcare system will also be required to provide medical care for transitions, including hormone therapy and counseling- though surgery is not required.

DoD memos continue to stress that individuals in transition will not be able to be recognized as their gender of choice until the system is complete and will have to comply by the fitness and grooming standards of their birth gender until the process has concluded.

All training is to completed by July 1st of 2017, when the Navy and Marines begin accepting transgender troops.

Sailors and Marines will be required to submit transition requests through the first general or flag officer in their chain of command, which will be sent up to the Assistant SecNav for manpower and reserve affairs for approval.

© 2016 Bright Mountain Media, Inc.

All rights reserved. The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of Bright Mountain Media, Inc. which may be contacted at info@brightmountainmedia.com, ticker BMTM.