Posted on Jul 16, 2016
How would you accommodate a transgender subordinate in your unit?
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Following RAND's study and the one by the Palm Center previous to that, it's clear that there are thousands of transgender people serving right now.
How should the military accommodate these individuals? Should they be allowed to follow the regs of the gender they identify with? Should facilities be assigned by gender, or the physical sex of the service member?
Constructive responses please.
How should the military accommodate these individuals? Should they be allowed to follow the regs of the gender they identify with? Should facilities be assigned by gender, or the physical sex of the service member?
Constructive responses please.
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 153
I didn't take the poll, because I think the choices miss the point.
Why should there be any "accommodation" at all?
Is the person a Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman, or not? THAT'S the only part that counts.
I would submit that the people who insist on the military "accommodating" transgenders (and any other group of people) have lost their focus on what it means to be "military".
As a submariner, there were shipmates that I suspected, or even on a couple occasions KNEW, were homosexuals before and during the "don't ask, don't tell" period. You know what "accommodations" I made for a homosexual? I'll tell you what accommodations I made.
I worked hard to qualify him, so he could be a safe and effective watchstander. I worked hard to help him earn his Dolphins.
I stood watch with him. I ran drills with him. I trained with him. I did maintenance with him. I troubleshot and repaired equipment with him. I fought casualties with him. I ran the PRT with him. I ate on the Crews Mess with him. I burned flicks on the Crews Mess with him. I deployed for months on end with him. I slept in the same berthing with him. I celebrated halfway night with him. I went on liberty with him.
THAT'S how I "accommodated" people I thought, or knew, were homosexuals at my commands.
I did not CHANGE anything to "accommodate" homosexuals. I simply treated them as my shipmates, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE.
There are now, since I've retired, women serving aboard submarines. Amazingly, I actually got to deploy on a submarine on mission for several weeks as a civilian shipyard engineer not long ago, the USS Florida. They have a mixed-gender crew. You know how that crew treats women? LIKE SHIPMATES. They way they should.
Remember any history about black people and the military? Well, guess what? There are no "accommodations" for black people, either...they're just fellow shipmates.
The ONLY accommodation that should be made is to treat people as our fellow shipmates, soldiers, devil-dogs, airmen, or what have you. PERIOD. Anything less, any focus OTHER than this, breaks down unit cohesiveness and is detrimental to "good order and discipline".
Take a look at the creeds of the services. There ain't no mention of men, women, blacks, Asians, homosexuals, religion, or transgenders:
"I am an American Soldier..."
"I am an American Airman..."
"I am a United States Sailor..."
"This is my rifle..." (Marines...gotta be different...)
Why should there be any "accommodation" at all?
Is the person a Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman, or not? THAT'S the only part that counts.
I would submit that the people who insist on the military "accommodating" transgenders (and any other group of people) have lost their focus on what it means to be "military".
As a submariner, there were shipmates that I suspected, or even on a couple occasions KNEW, were homosexuals before and during the "don't ask, don't tell" period. You know what "accommodations" I made for a homosexual? I'll tell you what accommodations I made.
I worked hard to qualify him, so he could be a safe and effective watchstander. I worked hard to help him earn his Dolphins.
I stood watch with him. I ran drills with him. I trained with him. I did maintenance with him. I troubleshot and repaired equipment with him. I fought casualties with him. I ran the PRT with him. I ate on the Crews Mess with him. I burned flicks on the Crews Mess with him. I deployed for months on end with him. I slept in the same berthing with him. I celebrated halfway night with him. I went on liberty with him.
THAT'S how I "accommodated" people I thought, or knew, were homosexuals at my commands.
I did not CHANGE anything to "accommodate" homosexuals. I simply treated them as my shipmates, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE.
There are now, since I've retired, women serving aboard submarines. Amazingly, I actually got to deploy on a submarine on mission for several weeks as a civilian shipyard engineer not long ago, the USS Florida. They have a mixed-gender crew. You know how that crew treats women? LIKE SHIPMATES. They way they should.
Remember any history about black people and the military? Well, guess what? There are no "accommodations" for black people, either...they're just fellow shipmates.
The ONLY accommodation that should be made is to treat people as our fellow shipmates, soldiers, devil-dogs, airmen, or what have you. PERIOD. Anything less, any focus OTHER than this, breaks down unit cohesiveness and is detrimental to "good order and discipline".
Take a look at the creeds of the services. There ain't no mention of men, women, blacks, Asians, homosexuals, religion, or transgenders:
"I am an American Soldier..."
"I am an American Airman..."
"I am a United States Sailor..."
"This is my rifle..." (Marines...gotta be different...)
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SPC Tawni Sullivan
Very well put! You're a soldier that wears a uniform that helps us to be identified as America's fighting forces. There should be no accommodations for anything that would distract from our professional presence as a soldier. We need to be instantly recognizable. There were homosexuals in my unit when I was in, and they were treated the same as everyone else. If I were transgendered or "other", I would not want any special accommodations or treatments. Because, I would want to prove that I, as a transgender soldier could fulfill my duties as any other soldier. When you join the military, I think that it is you who should conform to whatever standards are in place. We must present a "UNITED" front to our enemies, as well as our nation's citizens.
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I don't think transgendered people want to be accomedated to. They deserve and should be treated with the same dignity and respect as all service members.
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SFC Scott Parkhurst
I agree, well said nice and simple. Their human plain and simple and I think if we just stop talking about it and just go about business there wouldn't be any of this BS. Their already serving and half of you didn't/don't even know it. So what's the big deal? Move on, next subject matter.....
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Suspended Profile
Transgendered people DO want to be accommodated. They believe in their mentally unstable minds that they are other than the biological sex they were born with. Having Trans in the military IS accommodating them. The US Military is lowering its standards to accommodate them into the military which is wrong.
I think they should be sent to mental health because there is definitely something wrong with them. You can't think your way into another sex. You are how GOD made you period
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Suspended Profile
PO3 Edward Riddle - this SGT (verify to see) character is a Trans or a progressive liberal. It's what is wrong with the USA and our military. It's a disgrace.
PO3 Edward Riddle
Sgt Travis Adams - Roger your last transmission Brother Travis. I concur. Poor mixed up mental case.
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SFC Michael Barnett
PO3 Edward Riddle - You are on point there! No the Military should not be paying for the continued mental issues of those with this issue!
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SGT Robert Andrews
I would follow the current regulations regarding what I'm supposed to do regarding a transgender but it doesn't mean that I have to agree with it. It goes along the idea of working with someone you absolutely cannot stand to be in the same room at the same time. You have to absolutely respect rank and position but you don't have to like the person.
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The problem with your question is "how to accommodate?" Soldiers are equal and once a TG Soldier has completed their transition there should be no accommodations granted other than those afforded to ALL Soldiers of the identified gender.
Now, if the question were rephrased to "a TG in transition." Well, now that is a different question. In that case we need to wait for guidance from higher echelons. We don't make policy at our level. We do however enforce policy. Could you imagine if every unit in the Army was accommodating Soldiers with different standards?
Now, if the question were rephrased to "a TG in transition." Well, now that is a different question. In that case we need to wait for guidance from higher echelons. We don't make policy at our level. We do however enforce policy. Could you imagine if every unit in the Army was accommodating Soldiers with different standards?
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Suspended Profile
There should be zero trans in the military. Stop enabling mentally ill people.
SFC Michael Barnett
Even after they transition, they have the same body structure. So no changing the standards they followed prior to having the mental issue.
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I think "accommodate" may be the wrong word here. It implies special treatment, when the military is attempting to treat everyone equally, under equal conditions and to equal performance standards. If you want equality, you cannot expect or ask for positive accommodations or positive discrimination.
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What ever the DOD decides. Everything else is just BS to create hate and discontent. My personal feelings do not count, as a leader. Just developing the most combat ready personnel that I have been assigned. Zero accommodations, what ever that is.
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If I was still active, they would toe the line like everyone else. Period. It's up to our front line leaders to keep the flow lines clean of personal off duty crap where it belongs.
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