Woke Policies Root Themselves in the US Army - TheDailyBeat

You get showers now? Sheesh. What a bunch of wusses
Bring back the steel pot so they can take a bath.

Thank you for the post MAJ Montgomery Granger but from what I gathered this article is more of an opinion piece and less about what is actually going on. I'll go over line by line to affirm the issues with this article.

"The political left is infamous for doing everything in its power to destroy traditional US values. This time, they’re going after our troops, enforcing primitive work conditions and dozens of liberal policies where they don’t belong."
1. What are the traditional US values and when did they first erode?
2. As a military, we sometimes work in austere/primitive conditions/environments. Example given would be the invasion of Iraq 2003. Many friends and family went slept in tents, their vehicles or a blown-out but semi established hardtop building.

"Namely, the US Army recently received instructions regarding communal showers."
3. Based on the tweets shared in the article, this new policy must have been made recently. I can't find a new policy that was strictly about communal showering specifically geared towards transgender personnel. I had to read a 10 plus page message on the new ACFT and the updated Tattoo Policy in the last two weeks, but nothing about communal showers. The closest I could find was TC 4-02.3, but that was published in 2015.

"Service workers in the Army will now be required to shower alongside their opposite-sex transgender colleagues, including the portion of those who have yet to undergo surgical transitioning."
4. Never heard of Service workers before. Makes me believe the author doesn't know or understand that we refer to each other as Service Members.
5. 'Now required' implies that there was never a policy prior to 2022. That is entirely false. As per DoDI 1300.28 of 2016 and as of Army Directive 2016-35, as long as we get our gender marker changed on DEERS then we (transgender Soldiers) are to utilize the facilities based on our gender marker. Those like myself were grandfathered under these policies when President Trump enacted his 2019 policy. The previously mentioned policies and current policies include those who have not elected to undergo Gender Reassignment Surgery.

"This absurd notion can be traced back to June 2021.
The Biden administration issued an executive order allowing transgender individuals to serve in the Army, overruling a Trump-era policy that prevented them from doing so.
This radical change now allows US Army troops to change their gender markers at will.
This can happen by filing an application with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, otherwise known as DEERS, so long as they’re medically certified to be stable in their self-identified gender."
6. While it maybe someone's opinion that allowing transgender personnel to use the showers based on their gender marker is "absurd", please look at point 5 above.
7. President Biden issued an Executive Order that was specifically aimed at transgender Service Members in January 2021. Unsure where the author thinks June 2021 was the correct date.
8. "change their gender markers at will" is both correct and wrong. It is correct because anyone (on average) can start their transition and update their gender marker anywhere from 6 to 12 months at an average. It is still wrong because this isn't the Civilian sector political belief whereas you get out of bed and decide to pick a 'gender-of-the-day'. You can't walk into BCT on Day 0 and telling the DS that you identify as a male without any documentation or medical treatment.
9. While yes, you fill out an application. But you're required to gain Brigade level permission and approval (at a bare minimum) to be authorized treatment let alone update your gender marker.

The first tweet presented is a Canadian citizen who has no bearing on U.S. Policies. Fun fact, did you know the Canadian govt allowed transgender citizens to serve in their Armed Forces since 2014 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt1d4txv6.14?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents)?

"Right after the policy was implemented though, the Army secretary immediately altered the training regimen in order to be more inclusive to these individuals."
10. Secretary of the Army, not the Army secretary. I am still confused on what was altered in our training and development to be perceived to be more inclusive. Please see point 5 above.

"In fact, mandatory training now includes a presentation with a slide dedicated to instructions regarding interactions with transitioning individuals in common spaces reserved for one gender, such as showers, barracks, and bathrooms."
11. There is a mandatory transgender policy training that was ordered to be conducted in FY22. This also happened in FY17. They did a mandatory DADT repeal policy training in FY10, why isn't anyone complaining that we had to do DADT repeal training? I personally find it silly to do the policy training for FY22 since all units were ordered to conduct the training originally in FY17. But while doing the training a couple of months ago, I learned that many of my peers and superiors weren't given any prior training since their past unit didn't conduct it. Speaking of FY17, the slideshow presentation the article references was the exact same slideshow with very minor changes back from FY17. As for point 5 from above, nothing actually changed for many of us who started our transition prior to the 2019 Policy.

"The presentation then explains a female transitioning to male can immediately begin using the male barracks and other common spaces, regardless of their transitioning status. This is requiring other soldiers to accept primitive working conditions with next to no privacy."
12. Please see points 5 & 8 above. Transitioning may or may not include surgery.
13. Anyone whose ever deployed or been out in an FTX understands that we may work in austere/primitive environments. This is the Army, we thrive in austere/primitive environments.

The second tweet shows a reply to a Pentagon correspondent who tweeted a Breitbart article she wrote. At least I understand the confusion that this was a "new policy". Please see point 5 above. This isn't news. My unit did the training back in March of this year. I'm confused how this is news since this has been a policy since FY17.

"Additionally, this means both male and female soldiers will be encountering individuals with the opposite gender’s genitalia in these common spaces. Despite the absurdity of the concept, everyone’s expected to comply with it."
14. See points 12 & 13 above.

"Moreover, US Army personnel who refuse to adhere to these “equal opportunity” policies will be penalized under the Uniform Code of Military Justice."
15. Anyone at anytime in their career can be penalized under the UCMJ for breaking EO policies. This isn't a transgender thing, this is a human element thing. Do people actually believe in the myth that the Armed Forces is just a breeding ground for illegal or immoral behavior? Where were people when AR 600-20 got updated in 2014 (https://tinyurl.com/zzm9xc2k)? Why can't we treat people as people, giving everyone the same level of human decency and respect that everyone deserves?

"However, no one dared suggest that transgender individuals adjust their own behavior in order to “match” that of the other soldiers, despite the fact they make up a small minority of the overall US population."
16. Please see point 15 above. The same question/argument can be made against other policy changes as far back as 1863 (https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/the-draft-and-the-draft-riots-of-1863).

Third tweet was just people complaining. I'm surprised The Daily Beat didn't include the same old "I'm so glad I'm retired and don't have to deal with that" phrase. It's funny to me since so many of us are in the VFW, AL, CVMA and other veteran organizations. So there is no "don't have to deal with" philosophy.

"The slides that followed contained further instructions for Army Commanders and leaders to make the military environment more welcoming to transgender folk."
17. This implies the training is geared towards civilians for civilians and not Uniformed Service Members.

"What’s more, the new policy makes it so a qualified soldier can’t be discharged or denied reenlistment on the basis of gender identity."
18. I couldn't get discharged under Gender Identity Disorder DSM V diagnosis since June 30th 2016 (https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/821675/secretary-of-defense-ash-carter-announces-policy-for-transgender-service-members/). Or to be more precise, no one could be discharged under Gender Identity Disorder DSM V diagnosis since March 9th 2016 as per the ALARACT published in early March 2016.

"This will undoubtedly be exploited by the members of the LGBTQ population looking to retain their status as a US Army service worker."
19. I would love evidence on this statement. While I personally knew two Soldiers who attempted to take advantage of their unit's leadership, they were discharged within a few months. I even helped out by explaining the policy in better terms that JAG had issued. Just like those who intent to exploit the EO or SHARP policies, they will be discovered and will be removed from service or severely punished.

"Leftist policies are well on their way to destroying the most sacred thing this country has and what made it the greatest force in the history of mankind."
20. This is just opinion.

Thank you for the fun read, but this article is either half-truths, hyperbole or opinions that hold to bearing on day to day operations.

If this is the worst of the liberal indiscretions then it pales in comparison to the actions of the far right.