Active Users:1103 Time:22/11/2024 09:12:54 PM
Everybody Is Missing The Mark Here MrFarstrider Send a noteboard - 29/07/2017 10:25:04 PM

I have read through most but not all comments as the threads tend to get off topic after a bit, so I apologize if I am duplicating some input on this subject. Many here have postulated that banning transgenders from the military is a matter of mental health concerns or military budget concerns. Truthfully, it is neither of these.

Its a readiness concern and I'll explain why. Under the Obama era policy, the servicemember had a number of options once they were clinically diagnosed with gender dysphoria. 1. They could seek mental health counseling to deal with issues like depression or social stigma. 2. They could seek hormonal therapy but not undergo sex reassignment surgery. 3. All of the above plus undergoing surgery.

While all three of these cost money and resources, the estimated costs are irrelevant to the DoD medical and personnel budgets. I have spent more procuring a single "new" (read refurbished) 1970's era circuit card from Lockheed Martin than the entire estimated cost of the transgender policy.

As far as mental health goes, its also irrelevant. Gender dysphoric people will join and serve the military whether they can do it openly or not. Having servicemembers with this condition doesn't magically cure them or make them go away because there is now a policy in place. They will simply suffer in silence or act out similarly to Private Manning.
Furthermore, people in and out of the military have mental health issues that are treated daily and continue living functional and fulfilling lives. The DoD already has a mental health infrastructure in place solely to treat or separate military personnel. Servicemembers, just like non-military civilians, already serve with mental health issues (to include gender dysphoria), this new policy will simply prevent them from getting help for it.

The key issue is the time spent away from the unit/squadron/ship while the servicemember undergoes their required medical treatment. The military, regardless of branch, is composed of small cells of specialists. Generally no more than 2-3 people in a unit are trained to complete the same job, though this varies depending on the unit's function and size. When somebody leaves for 6-12 months to receive treatment, there isn't an endless pool of people waiting around in the system to replace that person. And if there were, the servicemember doesn't get removed from the unit's roster and won't be replaced anyways. To the manning folks, on paper it looks like that person is still with the unit and fulfilling their function.

So, its not like a corporate system where so-and-so leaves, the manager calls a temp agency, and a new body shows up to fill that job for 6-12 months. That person is simply gone. So now the 2-3 specialists turn into 1-2 specialists IF the unit was already fully manned which they likely aren't. So you may be left with 1 person, maybe 2 to do the job of 3 servicemembers and that simply is not sustainable over the course of a deployment. The unit is no longer capable of performing whichever maintenance or operational function those specialists were performing, which then makes the unit and military less capable to fight and win wars.

By and large, many servicemembers don't care whether somebody is transgender. We are close knit and supportive of each other due to the way in which we all work, sleep, and train together for months on end. However, when it comes to losing readiness and suddenly one maintainer or operator becomes responsible for doing the work of three people, we realize the situation could become unsafe for everybody and suddenly the personal needs of one person don't overcome the safety of everybody.

What should happen and what should be the policy is that those diagnosed with gender dysphoria, by a military psychologist, should be evaluated for an appropriate level of treatment on a case by case basis. Those who can be treated without being removed from a unit and without hurting readiness should be treated. Those who require more in depth treatment like hormone therapy and sex reassignment should be separated from the military since they are treatment options which are mutually exclusive with unit readiness. But note this approach is a case-by-case professional evaluation of an individual's condition and not a blanket statement/tweet policy approach that is inherently discriminatory in principle.

EDIT 1: I realized I didn't address the mental health argument, so I added a bit about that.
EDIT 2: I also realized I didn't propose an alternate policy solution, so I added a bit about that at the end which hopefully proposes some solutions vice noting all of the problems with the military-transgender situation.

This message last edited by MrFarstrider on 29/07/2017 at 11:19:22 PM
Reply to message
Thoughts on the internet outrage over Trump's transgenders in the military announcement - 26/07/2017 05:42:34 PM 871 Views
Maybe because.... - 26/07/2017 06:08:16 PM 428 Views
I get that - 26/07/2017 06:12:35 PM 427 Views
I don't think that your reasoning is flawed.... - 26/07/2017 06:31:06 PM 483 Views
bottom line - 26/07/2017 06:40:36 PM 448 Views
*shrug* - 26/07/2017 07:05:17 PM 398 Views
I dare say a lot of the rhetoric is seriously over the top... - 26/07/2017 06:13:59 PM 434 Views
like I replied to Jeo, I don't see this as a betrayal of the LGBT cause - 26/07/2017 06:19:01 PM 467 Views
LGB is not the same as T. We need to stop treating it all the same. - 26/07/2017 06:58:05 PM 432 Views
No the least of which... - 26/07/2017 07:06:21 PM 477 Views
Physical mutilation is a more appropriate word. - 26/07/2017 07:07:33 PM 433 Views
You're correct.... - 26/07/2017 09:28:20 PM 413 Views
Not always, keep that in mind. - 26/07/2017 07:35:34 PM 440 Views
I would still consider that.... - 26/07/2017 09:02:36 PM 456 Views
John McCain is the Left's favorite RINO - 26/07/2017 08:09:41 PM 474 Views
He's not a RINO. Just built his career on being independent-minded. - 26/07/2017 09:49:32 PM 476 Views
I really don't see the independence. Where is it? - 27/07/2017 01:33:27 AM 429 Views
So which is it, is he a RINO or a faithful Republican foot soldier? - 27/07/2017 08:08:04 PM 472 Views
RINOs are a pack. - 28/07/2017 12:46:44 AM 435 Views
Agreed with McCain - 27/07/2017 03:35:06 PM 437 Views
It makes eminent sense why trannies shouldn't be allowed. - 26/07/2017 06:57:00 PM 447 Views
I tried to keep my points to the logic of excluding an 18 yr old trans person - 26/07/2017 07:16:37 PM 484 Views
I don't have any desire to stop people from doing it - 26/07/2017 07:32:08 PM 419 Views
I agree - 26/07/2017 07:59:18 PM 505 Views
Absolutely agree on all counts *NM* - 27/07/2017 06:40:03 AM 242 Views
You don't need to be 'straight' to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight. - 27/07/2017 10:14:11 PM 425 Views
You're an idiot. *NM* - 28/07/2017 12:47:21 AM 247 Views
You also need to pass some sort of physical standards - 28/07/2017 03:52:14 AM 464 Views
So I was reading.... - 26/07/2017 09:07:11 PM 452 Views
This is part of my point - 26/07/2017 09:47:39 PM 446 Views
The rate goes down significantly after transition. - 26/07/2017 11:24:50 PM 432 Views
Bullshit. - 27/07/2017 01:40:05 AM 549 Views
I also like that study because it uses correct terminology: transsexual, sex-reassigned. - 27/07/2017 01:42:19 AM 451 Views
Gender has had a non-grammatical meaning since the 1950s, and you know it. - 27/07/2017 03:05:09 AM 430 Views
And people misuse the subjunctive all the time. Your point? - 27/07/2017 04:57:19 AM 426 Views
Re: And people misuse the subjunctive all the time. Your point? - 27/07/2017 02:13:57 PM 439 Views
That's not necessarily a biological difference - 27/07/2017 05:03:30 PM 474 Views
or liposuction or laser fat removal too. *NM* - 27/07/2017 05:06:56 PM 263 Views
Facelifts, tummy tucks, collagen implants, nose jobs... *NM* - 27/07/2017 05:09:01 PM 241 Views
which should then close the debate on the original question - 27/07/2017 05:07:34 AM 457 Views
Exactly. *NM* - 27/07/2017 01:26:48 PM 254 Views
Well, to the extent that it covers people with dysphoria, sure. - 27/07/2017 02:26:26 PM 409 Views
As I said above, Viagra treats a dysfunction - 27/07/2017 05:08:19 PM 442 Views
also, to a point you made earlier - 27/07/2017 05:39:32 PM 397 Views
So let me understand your position correctly via asking a few questions - 28/07/2017 04:01:50 AM 461 Views
Too long - 28/07/2017 01:54:11 PM 439 Views
The main reason for the post was the standard you created - 28/07/2017 05:00:27 PM 409 Views
Reductio ad absurdum, Roland? - 28/07/2017 05:29:23 PM 421 Views
I know Tom and Cannoli don't care, but on the off chance that you do... - 29/07/2017 12:39:16 AM 432 Views
I didn't realize that - 29/07/2017 01:10:30 AM 383 Views
Also trivia - 29/07/2017 01:22:37 AM 396 Views
No worries. I'm not offended. I just thought you might want to know. *NM* - 29/07/2017 02:32:01 AM 221 Views
Thanks - 29/07/2017 03:25:08 AM 390 Views
I don't? *NM* - 29/07/2017 08:23:14 AM 251 Views
Girlfriend Mookie, you are projecting onto me. - 29/07/2017 01:17:47 AM 450 Views
I absolutely respect you, Roland/Matt - 29/07/2017 01:40:28 AM 369 Views
We are cool - 29/07/2017 02:36:00 AM 431 Views
Blah blah blah and now I am showing off like an asshole - 29/07/2017 02:52:48 AM 401 Views
you're a nice guy, Roland00 - 29/07/2017 03:22:15 AM 418 Views
OMG mookie gave me the Nice Guy speech / Good Guy speech - 29/07/2017 07:41:23 PM 367 Views
I've never seen Newsroom - 29/07/2017 08:00:38 PM 400 Views
Teases I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too! - 29/07/2017 09:13:30 PM 399 Views
Nah, I'm not that subtle. - 29/07/2017 11:01:39 PM 366 Views
Edit: Double Posted due to bad wifi *NM* - 28/07/2017 04:01:51 AM 219 Views
Serving its end: As long as everyone argues over this, no one talks about Trumpcare nor Russiagate - 27/07/2017 10:05:00 PM 389 Views
Joel, seriously - 29/07/2017 08:33:14 PM 431 Views
No the real boogeymen are the ones we do not see with our eyes, but are still lurking in the shadows - 29/07/2017 09:16:34 PM 365 Views
And Rejoice - 29/07/2017 09:17:42 PM 402 Views
Everybody Is Missing The Mark Here - 29/07/2017 10:25:04 PM 499 Views
Nice comments. Thanks for that explanation. *NM* - 29/07/2017 11:15:29 PM 239 Views
Also, For the Record - 30/07/2017 08:02:58 AM 455 Views
Incite or Insight *NM* - 01/08/2017 06:30:28 AM 224 Views

Reply to Message