Page 1 - Desert Lightning News 7-17-15
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9RO1R  Serving Southern Arizona’s military community, including Davis-Monthan Air Force Base  July 17, 2015

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Working group to study implications of transgender service

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

   WASHINGTON – A Defense Department working group will study the policy                                                                                                              (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Senior Airman Michael Smith)
and readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly in
the military, and its work will presume they can do so unless objective and practical  civilian personnel representing all the military services and the Joint Staff
impediments are identified, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced today.               and will report directly to Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work.

   In a statement announcing the working group, Carter said that over the                 “At my direction,” Carter said, “the working group will start with the
last 14 years of conflict, the Defense Department has proven itself to be a             presumption that transgender persons can serve openly without adverse
learning organization.                                                                 impact on military effectiveness and readiness, unless and except where
                                                                                       objective, practical impediments are identified.”
   “This is true in war, where we have adapted to counterinsurgency, un-
manned systems, and new battlefield requirements such as [mine-resistant,                  Elevated Decision Authority for Administrative Discharges
ambush-protected vehicles],” Carter said. “It is also true with respect to in-            Second, the secretary said, he is directing that decision authority in all
stitutional activities, where we have learned from how we repealed “Don’t              administrative discharges for those diagnosed with gender dysphoria or
Ask, Don’t Tell,” from our efforts to eliminate sexual assault in the military,         who identify themselves as transgender must be elevated to Carson, who
and from our work to open up ground combat positions to women.                         will make determinations on all potential separations.
                                                                                          “As I’ve said before, we must ensure that everyone who’s able and willing
   “Throughout this time,” he continued, “transgender men and women in                 to serve has the full and equal opportunity to do so, and we must treat all
uniform have been there with us, even as they often had to serve in silence            our people with the dignity and respect they deserve,” Carter said. “Going
alongside their fellow comrades in arms.”                                              forward, the Department of Defense must and will continue to improve
                                                                                       how we do both. Our military’s future strength depends on it.”
   Outdated Regulations Causing Uncertainty
   The Defense Department’s current regulations regarding transgender
service members are outdated and are causing uncertainty that distracts
commanders from DoD’s core missions, the secretary said.
   “At a time when our troops have learned from experience that the most
important qualification for service members should be whether they’re able
and willing to do their job, our officers and enlisted personnel are faced with
certain rules that tell them the opposite,” he added. “Moreover, we have
transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines - real, patriotic Ameri-
cans - who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent
approach that’s contrary to our value of service and individual merit.”
   Carter said he issued two directives today to deal with this matter.
   First, DoD will create a working group to study over the next six months
the policy and readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to
serve openly. Brad Carson, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel
and readiness, will lead the group, which will be composed of military and

In this edition:                                 NEW HORIZONS well drilling

Fuel systems repair hangar opens         Pg. 2                                                                                                                                                 (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. David J. Murphy)
Promotion study material released        Pg. 3
Commentary: Be a servant leader          Pg. 4                                      A Honduras Aguan resident poses for a photo near the well site in Hondu-
Don’t leave any living thing in hot car  Pg. 6                                      ras Aguan, Honduras. The well is one of multiple projects going on in and
F-15SGs arrive at Davis-Monthan          Pg. 8                                      around Trujillo as part of NEW HORIZONS. NEW HORIZONS was launched
AF launches Operation Supplement Safety  Pg. 11                                     in the 1980s and is an annual joint humanitarian assistance exercise that
Davis-Monthan Local Briefs               Pg. 12                                     U.S. Southern Command conducts with a partner nation in Central America,
                                                                                    South America or the Caribbean. The exercise improves joint training readi-
                                                                                    ness of U.S. and partner nation civil engineers, medical professionals and
                                                                                    support personnel through humanitarian assistance activities.
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