Posted on Nov 24, 2020
Trump transgender ban hurt military, top service physicians say
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Transgender
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Military service
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 11
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Personally I had no problem with it, they did their jobs and were wanting to serve their country, more than what I can say about people that classify themselves as normal, my brother was a member of the LGBT group, served 10 years nobody had any issues with him brother SSG Robert Webster
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SSG Robert Webster
SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth Those that abuse the system are the ones that are problematic. You and I both know people that were LGB during our time in service that served honorably and I am sure that either one of us know one or more that did not.
As an example of one that served our country honorably and with distinction, was my good friend and sometimes mentor - Robert Bruce Pulliam.
Here is his obituary -
MURFREESBORO - Bruce R. Pulliam, 88, of the 500 block of Lakeview Drive, died Sunday, July 8, 2012, in Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Mr. Pulliam was born Nov. 29, 1923, in Person County, to Henry and Hassie Cox Pulliam. In 1941, he graduated from Roxboro High School and served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945 in the Detachment Medical Department, 204th General Hospital. Following his military service, Bruce graduated from Wake Forest University with a major in social studies. He then received a master's with a major in history and a minor in English from Western Carolina University. He was the principal of High Plains School in Person County from 1949-51. Following those years, he taught at the American School in the Philippines and Japan. He then taught at Oak Ridge Academy (N.C.) and taught for five years at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. He became affiliated with Methodist College (University) in Fayetteville in 1962, having served as the first Dean of Men and later chairman of the Division of Social Studies. In 1984, he was selected as Distinguished Professor of the Year by the Alumni Association of Methodist University. Having completed 25 years of distinguished service at Methodist University, he retired in Fayetteville. In 1997, Bruce moved with his twin brother, Henry, to Murfreesboro. He was an avid collector of North Carolina pottery and art and considered North Carolina native Reynolds Price as his favorite writer. Bruce truly loved his birth state and as a staunch Republican relished a spirited political discussion. A strong supporter of the Arts and Social Studies, Bruce served on various boards in the areas where he lived. Mr. Pulliam was a member of the Board of the Fayetteville Museum of Art, a member of the Fayetteville Symphony, and a member of the Murfreesboro Historical Association. He was also an active member of the Chowan University Board of Visitors as well as the Friends of Music, Friends of Whitaker Library and the Eubank Friends of Visual Arts. His parents and his sister, Roxie Snead, preceded Bruce in death as well as his beloved twin brother, Henry, who died in 2007. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Mildred and S. T. Wrenn of Murfreesboro; nephews, Jim Snead of Roxboro, Kevin Wrenn Sr. of Ahoskie, Kenneth Wrenn of Greenville, and Karl Wrenn of Mooresville. There is a host of great-nieces and great-nephews. A memorial Service will be held on Sunday, July 15, 2012, at 4 p.m. at the Cedar Grove Friends Meeting, 303 Main St. in Woodland, with Robert Gosney, minister, officiating. A visitation will be held on Monday, July 16, 2012, at 10 a.m. at Brooks and White Funeral Home, 907 Durham Road in Roxboro. Graveside rites will follow at 11 a.m. in Person Memorial Cemetery, 3250 Durham Road, Roxboro. A visitation at other times will be held at Mr. Pulliam's home in Murfreesboro. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be contributed to the Bruce R. and Henry T. Pulliam Music Scholarship at Chowan University, One University Place, Murfreesboro, NC 27855 (Development Office); or the Bruce R. Pulliam Scholarship, Methodist University, 5400 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311 (Development Office); or to any charity of your choice. Bridgers Funeral Home Inc. of Conway is handling local arrangements, and Brooks and White Funeral Home of Roxboro is handling services in Roxboro.
As an example of one that served our country honorably and with distinction, was my good friend and sometimes mentor - Robert Bruce Pulliam.
Here is his obituary -
MURFREESBORO - Bruce R. Pulliam, 88, of the 500 block of Lakeview Drive, died Sunday, July 8, 2012, in Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Mr. Pulliam was born Nov. 29, 1923, in Person County, to Henry and Hassie Cox Pulliam. In 1941, he graduated from Roxboro High School and served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945 in the Detachment Medical Department, 204th General Hospital. Following his military service, Bruce graduated from Wake Forest University with a major in social studies. He then received a master's with a major in history and a minor in English from Western Carolina University. He was the principal of High Plains School in Person County from 1949-51. Following those years, he taught at the American School in the Philippines and Japan. He then taught at Oak Ridge Academy (N.C.) and taught for five years at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. He became affiliated with Methodist College (University) in Fayetteville in 1962, having served as the first Dean of Men and later chairman of the Division of Social Studies. In 1984, he was selected as Distinguished Professor of the Year by the Alumni Association of Methodist University. Having completed 25 years of distinguished service at Methodist University, he retired in Fayetteville. In 1997, Bruce moved with his twin brother, Henry, to Murfreesboro. He was an avid collector of North Carolina pottery and art and considered North Carolina native Reynolds Price as his favorite writer. Bruce truly loved his birth state and as a staunch Republican relished a spirited political discussion. A strong supporter of the Arts and Social Studies, Bruce served on various boards in the areas where he lived. Mr. Pulliam was a member of the Board of the Fayetteville Museum of Art, a member of the Fayetteville Symphony, and a member of the Murfreesboro Historical Association. He was also an active member of the Chowan University Board of Visitors as well as the Friends of Music, Friends of Whitaker Library and the Eubank Friends of Visual Arts. His parents and his sister, Roxie Snead, preceded Bruce in death as well as his beloved twin brother, Henry, who died in 2007. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Mildred and S. T. Wrenn of Murfreesboro; nephews, Jim Snead of Roxboro, Kevin Wrenn Sr. of Ahoskie, Kenneth Wrenn of Greenville, and Karl Wrenn of Mooresville. There is a host of great-nieces and great-nephews. A memorial Service will be held on Sunday, July 15, 2012, at 4 p.m. at the Cedar Grove Friends Meeting, 303 Main St. in Woodland, with Robert Gosney, minister, officiating. A visitation will be held on Monday, July 16, 2012, at 10 a.m. at Brooks and White Funeral Home, 907 Durham Road in Roxboro. Graveside rites will follow at 11 a.m. in Person Memorial Cemetery, 3250 Durham Road, Roxboro. A visitation at other times will be held at Mr. Pulliam's home in Murfreesboro. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be contributed to the Bruce R. and Henry T. Pulliam Music Scholarship at Chowan University, One University Place, Murfreesboro, NC 27855 (Development Office); or the Bruce R. Pulliam Scholarship, Methodist University, 5400 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311 (Development Office); or to any charity of your choice. Bridgers Funeral Home Inc. of Conway is handling local arrangements, and Brooks and White Funeral Home of Roxboro is handling services in Roxboro.
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SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
SSG Robert Webster Thank you for the great share brother, may your friend rest in eternal peace.
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Taking away people who are doing there jobs well because of any type of orientation was a totally dumb move. Of course it hurt our military capability!
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I'm going to call bullshit. You can be disqualified for service for something as mundane as ADHD. Otherwise qualified men and women are disqualified outright or shown the door for ailments like depression, bipolar, PTSD, and many others. If these individuals are effectively "banned" from serving, exactly why should individuals with such an extensive issue like gender dysmorphia be authorized to serve? Not only do these people suffer from several mental issues--many that overlap the aforementioned disqualifying conditions--but they have these issues are compounded by the fact that they also require that the systems around them ben ld to their delusions and ask that the DOD foot the bill for what they consider required surgeries. This is inane, and it makes absolutely no sense. Not a single person has stood up to make a stink about soldiers getting the boot for developing PTSD in service to their nation. In fact, many arguments exist for why those suffering from PTSD must be medically retired due to readiness concerns. But now that this idiotic transgender issue has become so politically charged we are to rethink the issue. It's nothing more than insanity and ignorance coupled with a desire for political expediency.
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SSG Robert Webster
SGT (Join to see) - Then it is very clear that YOU do not understand the policy and the basic eligibility criteria for VHA medical care.
The point is this - If you do not have a service connected reasoning to be classed for regular medical care, then you do not rate no matter whether you are straight, cisgendered (or what ever the current prevailing term is), LGBTQ (or whatever the current acronym is), or trans. This brings us back to the VA Priority groups as I stated previously.
It is right there in the Directive that you reference.
...who are enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care
system or are otherwise eligible for VA care.
In accordance with the medical benefits package, VA provides care and
treatment to Veterans that is compatible with generally accepted standards of medical
practice and determined by appropriate health care professionals to promote, preserve,
or restore the health of the individual. AUTHORITY: Title 38 United States Code
(U.S.C.) 7301(b); Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 17.38.
This applies to all Veterans who are enrolled in VHA’s health care system or are otherwise
eligible for VHA care.
" POLICY
It is VHA policy that staff provide clinically appropriate, comprehensive, Veteran centered care with respect and dignity to enrolled or otherwise eligible transgender and
intersex Veterans, including but not limited to hormonal therapy, mental health care,
preoperative evaluation, and medically necessary post-operative and long-term care
following gender confirming/affirming surgery. It is VHA policy that Veterans must be
addressed based upon their self-identified gender identity; the use of Veteran’s
preferred name and pronoun is required. NOTE: VA does not provide or fund gender
confirming/affirming surgeries because VA regulation excludes them from the medical
benefits package. In addition, VA does not provide plastic reconstructive surgery, in
accordance with the medical benefits package and VHA Directive 1091, Plastic
Reconstructive Surgery, dated February 21, 2014."
The point is this - If you do not have a service connected reasoning to be classed for regular medical care, then you do not rate no matter whether you are straight, cisgendered (or what ever the current prevailing term is), LGBTQ (or whatever the current acronym is), or trans. This brings us back to the VA Priority groups as I stated previously.
It is right there in the Directive that you reference.
...who are enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care
system or are otherwise eligible for VA care.
In accordance with the medical benefits package, VA provides care and
treatment to Veterans that is compatible with generally accepted standards of medical
practice and determined by appropriate health care professionals to promote, preserve,
or restore the health of the individual. AUTHORITY: Title 38 United States Code
(U.S.C.) 7301(b); Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 17.38.
This applies to all Veterans who are enrolled in VHA’s health care system or are otherwise
eligible for VHA care.
" POLICY
It is VHA policy that staff provide clinically appropriate, comprehensive, Veteran centered care with respect and dignity to enrolled or otherwise eligible transgender and
intersex Veterans, including but not limited to hormonal therapy, mental health care,
preoperative evaluation, and medically necessary post-operative and long-term care
following gender confirming/affirming surgery. It is VHA policy that Veterans must be
addressed based upon their self-identified gender identity; the use of Veteran’s
preferred name and pronoun is required. NOTE: VA does not provide or fund gender
confirming/affirming surgeries because VA regulation excludes them from the medical
benefits package. In addition, VA does not provide plastic reconstructive surgery, in
accordance with the medical benefits package and VHA Directive 1091, Plastic
Reconstructive Surgery, dated February 21, 2014."
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SGT Joseph Gunderson
SSG Robert Webster frankly, I find it ridiculous that the VA would even provide for post-op care in such cases.
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