Jul 27, 2017

Joint Chiefs Chairman: no change on transgender troops without Trump order

Shannon Vavra

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

The U.S. will permit transgender people to serve openly in the military until President Trump gives "direction" to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to change the policy and determines how it will be implemented, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, wrote in a memo sent to all military service chiefs, commanders, and enlisted military leaders.

The confusion: After Trump's announcement on Twitter Wednesday that transgender troops would not longer be allowed to serve "in any capacity" in the military, it became clear that he took the Pentagon, and currently serving transgender troops, by surprise. The White House later said they didn't know if the announcement would apply to transgender troops currently serving overseas.

Mattis is on vacation, and has been publicly silent on the announcement.

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