The U.S. Department of Defense is considering a change in policy to allow transgender military personnel to serve openly. A RAND study examined the health care needs of transgender personnel, the costs of gender transition–related care, and the potential readiness implications of a policy change. The experiences of foreign militaries that permit transgender service members to serve openly also point to some best practices for U.S. policymakers.

"Under recent U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) policy, both the physical and psychological aspects of "transgender conditions" disqualified individuals from joining the military and were grounds for administrative discharge. However, in July 2015, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced the creation of a working group "to study the policy and readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly." He also directed that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness would make the final decision on all administrative discharges for personnel diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition characterized by discomfort or distress resulting from a discrepancy between a person's gender identity and sex assigned at birth. As DoD reviews potential changes to its policy on transgender service members, it will need to consider the unique health care needs of this population, the potential costs associated with extending coverage for these needs, and the readiness implications of allowing transgender service members to serve openly. It could also benefit from lessons learned by foreign militaries that already permit transgender personnel to serve openly. A RAND study explored these issues, reviewed the experiences of foreign militaries with openly serving transgender personnel, and assessed which DoD accession, retention, separation, and deployment policies may require changes if transgender personnel are allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military"--Publisher's description.

A transgender indiviA transgender individual feels a disconnect between their gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. Before June 30, 2016, transgender individuals were prohibited from serving openly in the United States (U.S.) military. Even after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), the U.S. military did not abolish or revise the ban on transgender individuals military service. The DADT repeal was silent as to transgender individuals' rights to serve. However, the silence was broken when President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced a policy change, allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military. Yet, almost a year after Secretary Carter's policy change announcement, President Donald Trump announced the federal government would be halting the policy change and would be reinstating the transgender service ban. Reinstating the military transgender ban is an oversight to the Depart of Defense's (DoD) mission -- implementing national security and ultimately defending the U.S. This governmental oversight has been proven invalid more than once before: past U.S. military service discrimination of minority groups, foreign military policies allowing transgender individuals to serve, and through constitutional analysis. Furthermore, this Note generally emphasizes that there are two important reasons advocacy to end discrimination within the U.S. military must ultimately come from within the U.S. military. First, if unit cohesion is the essential factor to effective military discipline, comrades in arms must defend one another. Second, no one will be able to see and experience the effects of the transgender ban other than the military personnel who serve beside transgender service members. Part I of this Note overviews the context of the proposed transgender ban and addresses the current barriers transgender individuals face within the DoD. Part II gives necessary background information, explaining U.S. military's unit cohesion over the past few decades and how discriminated groups overcame legal hurdles to heed their call to military service. Part III examines foreign military policy regarding transgender individuals serving. Part IV addresses the current advocacy and constitutional jurisprudence aiding in the fight to let transgender service members serve. This Note illuminates that the U.S. military itself will ultimately be the changing force for discrimination within its own battlefield. Currently, if a U.S. military new recruit or current service member can meet physical, mental, readiness, cohesion, and the number of other U.S. military service specific policy standards, then the individual is allowed to serve. Whether or not someone identifies as transgender cannot be a U.S. military specific policy standard that nee.

The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation â€" their families. Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense is considering allowing transgender service members to serve openly. To assist in identifying the potential implications of such a change in policy, OSD asked RAND's National Defense Research Institute to conduct a study comprised of three tasks: 1)identify the health care needs of the transgender population and potential health care utilization and costs associated with extending health care coverage for transition-related treatments, 2) assess the potential readiness impacts of allowing transgender service members to serve openty, and 3) review the experiences of foreign militaries. This report documents the findings from this study.

Featuring 4 reports and 25 personal essays from diverse voices—both straight and gay—representing U.S. Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Air Force veterans and service members, this anthology examines the impact of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and its repeal on 20 September 2011 in order to benefit policy makers, historians, researchers, and general readers. Topics include lessons from foreign militaries, serving while openly gay, women at war, returning to duty, marching forward after repeal, and support for the committed same-sex partners and families of gay service members.

The Palgrave International Handbook of Gender and the Military provides a comprehensive overview of the multiple ways in which gender and militaries connect. International and multi-disciplinary in scope, this edited volume provides authoritative accounts of the many intersections through which militaries issues and military forces are shaped by gender. The chapters provide detailed accounts of key issues, informed by examples from original research in a wealth of different national contexts. This Handbook includes coverage of conceptual approaches to the study of gender and militaries, gender and the organisation of state military forces, gender as it pertains to military forces in action, transitions and transgressions within militaries, gender and non-state military forces, and gender in representations of military personnel and practices. With contributions from a range of both established and early career scholars, The Palgrave International Handbook of Gender and the Military is an essential guide to current debates on gender and contemporary military issues.