Transgender soldiers will be allowed to delay deployment for up to 300 days while using cross-sex hormones during their “transition” and waive physical fitness standards, according to a confidential Pentagon memo.
The Feb. 1 Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC) memo said that the delay in deployment was needed so the transgender soldier could “stabilize” while taking hormones.
The 34-page Department of Defense document first reported by the Dossier, estimated it could take 9–18 months to complete a gender transition.
“Hormone therapy comes with potential health risks and undesired side effects,” the memo stated.
Transgender activists upset about a ban on transgender service members in the U.S. military participate in a rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 10, 2019. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The military’s goal for transgender service members, according to the memo, is “to provide a safe and effective pathway to achieve lasting personal comfort with their gendered selves to maximize their overall health and promote psychological well-being and self-fulfillment” while serving….