5 Things You Need To Know
The new transgender policy
07 July 2016
Since the repeal of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy the DoD has continued to make changes to further the advancement of equality within its ranks. Service members are now able to openly serve as their preferred gender.
With the increase of DoD equality, here are a few things you need to know.
1. Under DoD policy, a transgender service member is one who has received a medical diagnosis that gender transition is medically necessary; this includes service members who intend to begin transition, are undergoing transition, or have completed transition and are stable in their preferred gender.
2. Service members who transition gender in accordance with this policy will be subject to the same standards and procedures as other members of their preferred gender with regard to their medical fitness for duty, physical fitness, uniform and grooming, deployability, and retention.
3. Service members seeking information about gender identity and transgender service can speak with their chain of command, military medical providers, judge advocates, the equal opportunity office, and any number of community outreach programs.
4. The new DoD instruction establishes a process for currently serving service members who receive a medical diagnosis indicating that gender transition is medically necessary. Beginning on Oct. 1, 2016, the military services are required to provide necessary medical care relating to gender transition in accordance with Medical Guidance forthcoming from DoD.
5. Service members will use the facilities associated with their gender as recognized in DEERS, unless granted an exception to policy by their chain of command. When a transgender service member's gender marker is changed in DEERS, that member will use facilities associated with that new gender marker.
For more information on the transgender policy implementation visit
here.