PRO-LIFE IS SOMETHING THAT I
MEANT WITH MY STATEMENT.
JOHN: MS. BLANKENBEKER, THE
POLICY FOR TRANSGENDER
INDIVIDUALS SERVING IN THE U.S.
MILITARY WAS CHANGED.
IT NOW STATES THAT TRANSGENDER
INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT EXCLUDED
FROM MILITARY SERVICE, BUT MUST
MEET MILITARY STANDARDS,
INCLUDING THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH
THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE CURRENT
POLICY AND WHY OR WHY NOT? MS
BLANKENBEKER: YES, SO I WAS AT
THE DEFENSE HEALTH HEADQUARTERS
AND THE PENTAGON WHEN WE WERE
STUDYING AS TO WHETHER OR NOT
TRANSGENDE INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE
COMING INTO THE MILITARY.
THAT WAS UNDER THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION, WHEN WE DID
ALLOW TRANSGENDERS.
THE ISSUE FOR US WAS BASED ON
MEDICAL ISSUE.
WE AS MILITARY MEMBERS HAVE TO
BE WORLDWIDE READY TO GO
MOBILIZEABLE WITHIN HOURS.
I WAS MOBILIZED WITHIN 48 HOURS
TO GO ABOARD USNS COMFORT.
SO, IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL IN
THE MIDDLE OF A TREATMENT,
WHETHER IT IS HORMONE
REPLACEMENT THERAPY OR GOING
THROUGH THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE,
WE CANNOT SUPPORT THAT IN A
BATTLEFIELD OR A WARTIME
SCENARIO.
SO, THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT
CONSIDERED WHAT WE CALL IN THE
MILITARY "FIT FOR MOBILIZATION
AT THAT TIME."
LESS THAN 1% OF AMERICA IS
WEARING A UNIFORM RIGHT NOW AND
WE NEED EVERY PERSON TO GO TO
DUTY, SO THAT DID CREATE A
MEDICAL PROBLEM AND A PROBLEM
FOR US WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO
MOBILIZE FOLKS AND SEND FOLKS
ACROSS - OVER, YOU KNOW, INTO
BATTLE.
SO, WE HAD TO MAKE THOSE HARD
DECISIONS ABOUT BEING MEDICALLY
FIT, NOT ONLY FOR THE HEALTH OF
THE MILITARY FORCE, BUT ALSO FOR
THE HEALTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
WHEN YOU CANNOT GIVE THEM T
