I am an active duty Major (Lt Col in a few months) in the United States Air Force. I have also been involved in the push to change the policy last year, have done training and education within the Air Force, and did several interviews on Wednesday regarding the President's tweets. I was brought back to this forum by a very sweet note of support from one of the members and I found a lot of interesting notions about what being transgender (and I use that as an umbrella term) means to today's military.
With that I offer that if you have questions, please ask and I'll do my best to answer. Ask them here or send me a note.
Here are a few things I shared on Facebook in the past few days -
26 Jul 1000
Yes, everyone is stunned. My advice for my fellow trans service members: do your job. Do it as well as you ever have. Don't give anyone a reason to question your validity or your military readiness.
A tweet is not policy. If, yes almost certainly when, it is translated to policy there will be a very organized effort to fight it. What you do everyday is the best ammunition we have in that fight.
For now, keep calm and carry on. When the enemy demanded he strike his colors, John Paul Jones famously replied "I have not yet begun to fight!". That's where we are right now. Prepare yourself.
From my wife 26 Jul 1700
This not only affects some of the most amazing soldiers I have ever had the honor to meet and call my friends, it affects my husband's calling and family's future. I will not allow th bigotry and hate of one man destroy me or my family, I have not yet begun to fight.
29 Jul 1900
Our country has a checkered past when it comes to civil rights, but I can't think of any instance where, at the federal level, we have gone backwards and reinstated institutional discrimination once it had been eliminated. In the long term we have bent the moral arc towards justice, and it would be shameful for our nation to reverse course on the ideal of liberty and justice for all.
Many people have asked what they can do now and if we move from tweet to policy. First, thank you! I believe the best things you can do are to speak out about your feelings on the issue, share the stories of honorably serving transgender service members, donate to organizations that support us, and to contact your representatives regarding your support of open trans service.
I remain optimistic and hope you do too. The response to me personally and across the country has been amazing. I'm so thankful.