WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - News outlets are reporting U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is suspending Trump's order, banning so-called transgenders from the U.S. military. The problem is his memo says no such thing.
Released on August 29, the memo asserts, "The department will carry out the president's policy direction, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security." It goes on, "As directed, we will develop a study and implementation plan, which will contain the steps that will promote military readiness, lethality and unit cohesion, with due regard for budgetary constraints and consistent with applicable law."
The Washington Post called Trump's order "awful" saying it is "based on nothing but the bigotry of Trump and some of his supporters." Now, it's claiming, "Transgender ban frozen as Mattis moves forward with a new review of options."
Schizophrenically, however, the rabidly-progressive Slate, along with the George Soros-funded Think Progress disagree, stating "We need reporters to fact check these stories."
Mattis' memo declares, "Our focus must always be on what is best for the military's combat effectiveness leading to victory on the battlefield," agreeing with Trump's July 26 tweet announcing, "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgenders in the military would entail."
Branches of the U.S. military have declared people with a variety of conditions unfit for service. Speaking anonymously to Church Militant, a retired U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) colonel comments, "Not everyone is eligible or suited for military service. Sleepwalkers, bed wetters, people with ADD (or individuals that were prescribed ADD meds as children) or depressed individuals are restricted."
He adds, "No one has an individual right to serve in the military. In fact, by joining the service, individuals waive their Bill of Rights," adding that the military has the right to control all aspects of those who serve, including what an individual can say or even wear when they are off base. He notes, "What a person may feel their rights are is not a part of this discussion."
Recently, new tattoo regulations in the USMC has rendered some combat veterans ineligible for re-enlistment because their tattoos violate new policies.
General Robert Neller, a USMC commandant declared, "We are not in a rock and roll band. We are Marines. We have a brand. People expect a certain thing from us."
So far, Mattis has not contradicted anything said by Trump, and he has made no indication that he plans to obstruct any policies handed down to him.