The working group tasked with looking at whether transgender troops can serve openly will meet for the first time Wednesday afternoon, a Pentagon spokesman said.
The group will include civilians and military representatives from all four branches, plus the Coast Guard, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff, Matthew Allen said. The working group is expected to submit its recommendations and findings by January.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the formation of the working group last month, calling the ban on transgender service members “outdated” and saying it distracted from the military’s “core missions.”
“At my direction, the working group will start with the presumption that transgender persons can serve openly without adverse impact on military effectiveness and readiness, unless and except where objective, practical impediments are identified,” Carter said in a statement.
The working group will be lead by Brad Carson, the acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and will report to Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work.
While the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2011 allowed gay troops to serve openly, transgender troops can still be kicked out of the military under current law.
Carter also announced last month that any discharges for transgender troops would be decided by Carson while the working group completes its findings.
About 15,500 transgender troops serve in the active-duty military today, according to Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who introduced a bill to lift the ban this year.
