In the midst of international jihadist attacks including the recent Orlando massacre and the Turkish airport attack with a combined death toll of 92 innocent civilians, President Barack Obama’s Defense Secretary announced the military’s priority of having transgender people openly serving in all branches of U.S. Armed Forces.
The Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced on Thursday that the Pentagon was ending the ban on transgender people being able to serve openly in the U.S. military.
The announcement — which removes one of the last barriers to military service by any individual — was made by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who claims he had been studying the issue for almost a year. The decision comes as the military has witnessed major changes in the role of women and the inclusion of gays, lesbians and bisexual service members in recent years.
While Obama and Carter are claiming the decision is approved by a majority of the military brass, there have been numerous generals, admirals, colonels and other officers who have condemned the “sexualizing” of the nation’s warriors.
“During the first week of his administration, in his zeal to keep at least one of his plethora of campaign promises, Bill Clinton created a political firestorm when he signed an executive order lifting the ban against military service by open, practicing homosexuals. In doing so, he made a grave error which risked damaging the one function of the federal government that actually works,” said Rep. Mac Thornberry, Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
For weeks, “experts” who knew nothing of the military experience spouted psychobabble about the military’s “need” to overcome its “homophobia.” The media did their part by parading homosexual commissioned officers (whose experience is hardly representative) who claimed that they performed their duties well and that what they did in private harmed no one. None of this was relevant, and all of it completely missed the point.
“The real issue was lost in this smoke and mirrors: Is the presence of known, open, practicing homosexuals disruptive to the good order and discipline of military units thus rendering homosexuality incompatible with military service?,” said former Marine officer and New York police detective Michael Snopes.
For weeks, “experts” who knew nothing of the military experience spouted psychobabble about the military’s “need” to overcome its “homophobia.” The media did their part by parading homosexual commissioned officers (whose experience is hardly representative) who claimed that they performed their duties well and that what they did in private harmed no one. None of this was relevant, and all of it completely missed the point. The real issue was lost in this smoke and mirrors: Is the presence of known, open, practicing homosexuals disruptive to the good order and discipline of military units thus rendering homosexuality incompatible with military service?
“This is yet another example of President Obama using America’s military to fight culture wars instead of to fight real wars against the enemies of our nation. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that ‘the only military matter . . . about which I ever sensed deep passion on [President Obama’s] part was ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ Now Mr. Obama has only added to his legacy of misplaced priorities with regard to our country’s defense,” according to Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin.
“The Defense Department and the military need to avail ourselves of all talent possible in order to remain what we are now — the finest fighting force the world has ever known,” Carter said Thursday at the Pentagon.
“We don’t want barriers unrelated to a person’s qualification to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, airman or marine who can best accomplish the mission. We have to have access to 100% of America’s population,” he added.
But Rep. Thornberry countered Carter’s statement: “This is the latest example of the Pentagon and the President prioritizing politics over policy. Our military readiness—and hence, our national security—is dependent on our troops being medically ready and deployable. The Administration seems unwilling or unable to assure the Congress and the American people that transgender individuals will meet these individual readiness requirements at a time when our Armed Forces are deployed around the world.”
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