President Trump issued a memorandum last week reinstating a ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the United States military and forbidding the Department of Defense from providing medical treatment related to healthcare for transgender service members.
President Announces Continuation of Mission in Afghanistan
On Monday evening, President Trump announced to the country that the war in Afghanistan would move forward and that he would increase troop levels, but failed to include details over strategy or how success would be measured in a conflict that has now stretched on for over 16 years.
Senate Committee Votes to Give Free Birth Control to Non-Active Service Members
Last month, the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that, if passed by Congress, would give free birth control to all members of the military and their dependents. Currently, women in the military are only granted this benefit while on active duty.
Defense Department Delays Plan to Allow Transgender Recruits
Military officials will now have until December 1, 2017, to conduct a review process to determine whether allowing transgender people to enlist will affect the “readiness or lethality” of the United States Armed Forces.
