A Cohesive American Military Calls for Conformity
P45 Proposes a Ban Making Openly Transgender Ineligible for Service
First, let’s stick to what we know for certain which is nothing.
As I understand it, P45 release his intention based on supposed guidance for upper level military personnel who have concern over lack of cohesion that transgender service is unacceptable.
Additionally, there was concern over medical expenses for the transgender population serving in the military which were purported to be excessive.
In other words, if the policy is enacted, transgender individuals would not be eligible to serve.
The policy for openly transgender have not been enacted, there was a request for an additional six months to complete the study.
Questions Raised
On a SiriusXM Progress radio show today, there was a discussion about the approach for separating individuals in this category.
1 — What would be the type of separation, honourable or dishonourable.
If any person is released from service due to ineligibility to serve, it would (in my opinion) be a General Discharge under Honourable Conditions.
2 — The discharged person would be allowed to maintain their entitlements to the level of serve that they had reached. [By the way, there are plenty of ways to get dishonourably discharged. The most frequently used reasons are ‘conduct up becoming’ or ‘unfit for duty’ or ‘non-adaptability to military life’ all of which cover a lot of actions and circumstances. Think of ‘unreconcilable differences’ in civilian divorce request and you have the general picture. The statements are vague to protect the privacy of the individuals and any family members. Details are provided on a ‘need to know’ basis … most people do not need to know; however, there are some leaks of this information based on system codes, or involvement in processing the separation, etc. These leaks are indiscreet and punishable, if found out.]
3 — Anyone made ineligible to serve by a new policy decision would still be a veteran, I think that designation applies for any length of service over 4–6 months. Even after extensive physicals, there are individuals who are unable to perform their work or handle the constant physical requirements or mental discipline.
Twitter Announcement
What does a new military policy announced on Twitter mean? In my opinion, absolutely nothing. [More later …] P45 might be making a show of his power, given the fact that he mentioned transgender ban along with new jobs and healthcare cutbacks …possibly a ploy to divide and conquer: to mobilize support and to get people to be quiet and get used to him being in charge. If they continue to complain, more and more civil liberties and equality will be removed as payback. It seemed like a veiled threat.
A president who thinks it appropriate to threaten member of Congress, his Administrative staff and perhaps operate this way in business would have no hesitation is pushing around the military. Military personnel were not even invited to the White House, as usual (or, at least under Barack Obama), to celebrate the Independence Day Holiday on the Fourth of July.
Cohesiveness
Let’s think about ‘cohesion’ in the military. There is such a thing and yes, there could be at risk in three ways.
Remember, the president referred to a fleet as an ‘armada’ …his thoughts about the military are a bit dates which is most likely true, in some ways, of senior military officials as well.
1 - Heterosexuality and gender designation from birth and socialization to match are thought of as ‘the norm’ …referred to as cisgender, I think.
2 - Might need special consideration or care based upon their lack of knowledge, understanding or interest in accommodating someone with unfamiliar concerns.
3 - Cohesion could mean simply that individuals would think of the openly transgender person as ‘not one of us’; possibly ‘too different’ (or, even ‘aberrant’) for the extremely conservative person who has the expectation of conformity as being a primary criteria in fitting in.
Legitimate Concerns?
Actuality, there might be a few legitimate reasons:
1 - Unavailability for active duty service due to long-term medical leaves due to surgery, adjustment on hormones, etc. This would apply only to someone going through their re-designation while in the military, not someone who have transferred before joining. Long periods of absence are frowned upon, even for troublesome pregnancy and prolonged birth requiring hospitalization.
2 - If working with countries as allies on joint missions where they do not allow or feel comfortable with openly transgenders (or, perhaps gays).
3 -Combat or capture conditions that might see the transgender person be singled-out for excessive force or torture to punish, if not unnerve the rest of the team or captives.
Yet, the actual case history on any of these problematic situations is to my knowledge, non-existent as patterns associated only with transgenders.
[I am aware that in the early days of surgeries, susceptibility to infections and long-treatment periods were required. These are much-improved at this stage.]
Is the President Meeting Citizen Expectations?
Citizens need to make their expectations of the president known. They need not compromise to receiving information through social media instead of from well-delivered speeches and briefing from the president himself. Imagine when Bin Laden was killed, would you accept receiving a Tweet on that?
We seem to be settling for less from P45: unacceptable. In terms of communications; in terms of 21st century American values in support of Free Society; in terms of policies that move forward our society, our Nation, our standing in the World.
Surely, if you are following P45’s personal Twitter acount, you should unfloow immediately. You will recieve the stream from your followed news or groups that follow and review him regularly.
What for ‘official White House account’ mean on the @POTUS mean?
It means that that Twitter account will be archived along with other presidential records on P45’s Administration; however, it does not mean that a tweet is a policy-decision equal to written documentation from the president. All social media is unofficial communication, unless it was decided otherwise and I did not receive that memo.
We cannot think to ignore P45 because this is his quality of service to citizens; however, let’s not that think that a Twitter announcement is a done-deal: it is not.
It seems that P45 is telling the public to think that removing transgenders will support the cost-saving that he promised, even though they will be losing healthcare based upon his support to roll-back ACA while breaking his campaign promise not to lose coverage for anyone.
Purpose and Timing
Another distraction. Transgender ban in the military might keep us from thinking about the Jared Kushner and Manafort private hearings in the same time-frame. We do not know if P45 discussed transgenders with anyone. How many upper-level military personnel want to say opening that the Commander-in-Chief is telling a lie? Not many. Our military personnel need to be able to believe the president.
The news is that there is no concrete news. Something that is telling, if Ivanka Trump does not come out in support of the P45 decision, most likely, there is no decision: it is just a rouse.
Back to Basics
The easiest, and unspoken reason would be the same as for the shared, gang bathrooms and close quarters that military personnel experience. Shared quarters, gang showers and bathrooms, etc. I am prepared to think that there is a social trend toward increased privacy that is an undercurrent of the louder, less sane voices who promote fear of abnormality (or, perhaps suggest perversion).
Despite direction from leadership, it is highly possible that a general thinking about a transgender being in the shower at the same time would not like the idea: now a male, used to be a female …who exactly is here with me? That could be called undermining ‘cohesion’ in the unit, too.
Legacy Thinking Still Present
The favoured culture is still all-male, especially in the Navy and Marines, probably Army is some ‘old school’-driven commands. [Really all Christian …sometimes all Anglo: in the most traditionally-oriented, unvaried groups), despite policy or direction to the contrary does exist still.]
By the way, some of the younger recruits have been raised quite conventionally and have highly provincial attitudes toward sexuality and gender concerns along with politics.
