Transgender Service in the Military Policy
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i [H.A.S.C. No. 116–8] TRANSGENDER SERVICE IN THE MILITARY POLICY HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY PERSONNEL OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD FEBRUARY 27, 2019 U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 36–234 WASHINGTON : 2020 SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY PERSONNEL JACKIE SPEIER, California, Chairwoman SUSAN A. DAVIS, California TRENT KELLY, Mississippi RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana GILBERT RAY CISNEROS, Jr., California, LIZ CHENEY, Wyoming Vice Chair PAUL MITCHELL, Michigan VERONICA ESCOBAR, Texas JACK BERGMAN, Michigan DEBRA A. HAALAND, New Mexico MATT GAETZ, Florida LORI TRAHAN, Massachusetts ELAINE G. LURIA, Virginia CRAIG GREENE, Professional Staff Member DAN SENNOTT, Counsel DANIELLE STEITZ, Clerk (II) C O N T E N T S Page STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Kelly, Hon. Trent, a Representative from Mississippi, Ranking Member, Sub- committee on Military Personnel ........................................................................ 3 Speier, Hon. Jackie, a Representative from California, Chairwoman, Subcom- mittee on Military Personnel .............................................................................. 1 WITNESSES Dremann, LCDR Blake, U.S. Navy ........................................................................ 5 Ehrenfeld, Dr. Jesse M., MD, MPH ....................................................................... 13 King, Staff Sergeant Patricia, U.S. Army .............................................................. 10 Peace, CAPT Jennifer, U.S. Army .......................................................................... 8 Stehlik, CAPT Alivia, U.S. Army ........................................................................... 6 Stewart, James N., Performing Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense; accompanied by VADM Raquel C. Bono, USN, Director, Defense Health Agency ..................... 30 Wyatt, Hospital Corpsman Akira, U.S. Navy ........................................................ 12 APPENDIX PREPARED STATEMENTS: Dremann, LCDR Blake .................................................................................... 56 Ehrenfeld, Dr. Jesse M. ................................................................................... 93 King, Staff Sergeant Patricia .......................................................................... 79 Peace, CAPT Jennifer ...................................................................................... 71 Speier, Hon. Jackie ........................................................................................... 53 Stehlik, CAPT Alivia ........................................................................................ 63 Stewart, James N. ............................................................................................ 104 Wyatt, Hospital Corpsman Akira .................................................................... 86 DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD: [There were no Documents submitted.] WITNESS RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE HEARING: Ms. Speier ......................................................................................................... 121 QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS POST HEARING: Mrs. Davis ......................................................................................................... 126 Ms. Speier ......................................................................................................... 125 (III) TRANSGENDER SERVICE IN THE MILITARY POLICY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY PERSONNEL, Washington, DC, Wednesday, February 27, 2019. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 3:53 p.m., in Room 2118, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Jackie Speier (chair- woman of the subcommittee) presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JACKIE SPEIER, A REPRESEN- TATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA, CHAIRWOMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY PERSONNEL Ms. SPEIER. The subcommittee will come to order. Good after- noon. Welcome everyone to the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee. I want to thank the Active Duty transgender service members who are with us today. Being here in the same room as senior De- fense Department officials, in front of the Congress, representing yourselves and your fellow transgender service members, even in your civilian capacities, takes tremendous courage. Somehow testifying in front of Congress is not close to the most courageous thing you have done. From a young age you have made a series of difficult choices in order to live in a way that honors yourselves, your communities, and your country. Despite living in a nation where many discriminate against you, you made a choice that fewer and fewer Americans make, you joined the military and risked your lives and your families’ well-beings for our safety. And how has the administration thanked you? By treating you like a liability, not an asset; by maliciously jeopardizing your ca- reers and trivializing your sacrifice. Fourteen thousand seven hun- dred transgender individuals continue to serve ably. They are ex- ceptional but also exceptionally normal. Like their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, they proudly serve the Constitution, our nation, and the Commander in Chief. Our five witnesses today have shown uncommon bravery making choices throughout their lives, and today Lieutenant Commander Dremann, Captain Stehlik, Captain Peace, Hospital Corpsman Third Class Wyatt, and Staff Sergeant King have made the coura- geous choice to come advocate for themselves and their peers. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your courage, your sac- rifices, and your presence here today. Your examples inspire all of us. I feel strongly that any transgender person who can meet occupa- tional standards should be allowed to serve in our Armed Forces. I believe that the transgender service ban is discriminatory, uncon- (1) 2 stitutional, and self-defeating. Open transgender service the last 21⁄2 years has been an unequivocal success. When asked by Con- gress, the five service chiefs indicated that open service has not caused unit readiness or cohesion problems. Let me repeat that, when the chiefs were asked this question, they made it clear that unit readiness and cohesion were not impacted by the service of transgender service members. Instead, discharging transgender service members would hamper unit readiness, robbing formations of needed security personnel, intelligence officers, and leaders, without warning. Not allowing transgender service members to join the military would cost us recruits at a time so few Americans are willing to serve. Telling transgender service members they can serve but not fully express their identities would represent a return to the fraught paranoia of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Transgender troops have the right to serve as their full selves and shouldn’t have to live in fear of being found out. Our five witnesses and their peers deserve better than to have bias, misconception, and ignorance end or limit their careers. Let me tell you a little more about the five witnesses joining us today. They are subject-matter experts who have lived open transgender service and best understand how it affects our unit readiness and cohesion. Lieutenant Commander Blake Dremann, I think we are going to see a photograph, there she is. There he is. Lieutenant Commander Blake Dremann, has served in the Navy for over 15 years since joining in 2003. He has been recognized for his exemplary service as the recipient of the USS Maine Logistics Excellence Award and the 2015 Vice Admiral Robert F. Bachelder Award. Thank you. Captain Olivia Stehlik, her picture in uniform, has been serving in the Army for over 10 years since commissioning out of West Point as a second lieutenant in 2008. She served as an infantry of- ficer and completed the Ranger Course. Captain Stehlik deployed to Afghanistan with the Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Her per- sonal awards include the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. Thank you. Captain Jennifer Peace has served for over 15 years since first enlisting in the Army in 2003 and commissioning as an officer in 2009. Through numerous combat deployments to Iraq and Afghani- stan and positions of command she has excelled as an intelligence officer. Now selected for promotion to major, Captain Peace’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal and the Joint Serv- ice Commendation Medal. Thank you. Hospital Corpsman Third Class Akira Wyatt emigrated to the United States from the Philippines at age 15. She has served over 7 years since enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 2011 and continues to serve as a corpsman with Marine infantry units. She has deployed numerous times across the globe. Her personal awards include the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Thank you. And Staff Sergeant Patricia King, a combat-tested infantry sol- dier who has served 19 years in the United States Army. She has deployed to Afghanistan 3 times and has served across the globe. Her awards include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Bronze Star. Thank you. 3 Thank you all for your contributions to our nation and to our military. You are the first five transgender service members ever to testify openly in front of the House of Representatives, the very first five and how fitting that you do it not as individuals but as a team; how just that you can at last represent yourselves and