Trump administration requests delay on military accepting transgender troops after failing to ban them entirely

The Pentagon's own study showed transgender troops have 'little impact' on military operations

The Trump administration has filed a request to delay allowing transgender US military recruits (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump’s administration has asked a federal judge to delay an order for the US military to start accepting transgender recruits beginning 1 January.

US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly banned the administration from proceeding with plans to exclude transgender people from military service in October. Part of her ruling required the government to allow transgender individuals to enlist in the new year.

She had also filed an order in November reiterating the 1 January requirement.

The administration then turned to US appeals court to put the requirement on hold while it appeals Ms Kollar-Kotelly's decision and has requested a response by 11 December.

On 26 July Mr Trump tweeted his intention to ban transgender troops, posting that “our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory.”

In August Mr Trump followed through on that, signing an executive order in August that stopped the military from enlisting these troops or paying for transition-related surgery for those already serving.

Defence Secretary James Mattis was also given six months to come up with a plan of action regarding the transgender troops already in the service.

Pentagon spokesman Army Major Dave Eastburn said in a statement: “While reviewing legal options with the Department of Justice, the Department of Defence is taking steps to be prepared to initiate accessions of transgender applicants for military service on January 1, 2018, per recent court orders.”

The Trump administration’s latest motion in the appeals process however said that forcing the military to comply with the court ruling by next year would “seriously and irreparably” harm the armed services and administration.

It said forced compliance “may negatively impact military readiness” because of the “complex and multidisciplinary nature of the medical standards that need to be issued and the tens of thousands of geographically dispersed individuals that need to be trained.”

One Pentagon officials said in a sworn statement that the judge’s order would place “extraordinary burdens” on the military. The statement said 20,367 recruiters, 2,785 employees, 32 service medical waiver personnel would have to be trained in too short of a time.

Former officials who worked in the administration of predecessor President Barack Obama disagree that training would be a burden.

Mr Obama allowed transgender troops to serve openly, be eligible for related medical treatment, and ordered the Pentagon to establish a policy for allowing transgender recruits within a year back in June 2016.

That meant much of the preparation was already underway by the time Mr Trump signed his executive order.

Mr Obama’s decision was based on a study commissioned by the Pentagon which stated that whether a soldier is transgender or not has “little impact” on day-to-day military operations.