The U.S. military continued its Biden-related string of woke debacles in recent days by spotlighting U.S. Army Maj. “Rachel” Jones.
Jones, a biological man who identifies as a woman, came to prominence last month when, during Pride Month, the Army first shared the story of Jones’ transition.
Jones claimed to have suffered depression and entertained ideas of suicide because of former President Donald Trump’s ban on trans troops.
Yet, the Army noted in its June 22 press release, “Coming out as a transgender female saved” Jones’s life because the soldier could “live authentically.”
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On July 2, the Defense Department’s official Twitter account followed up by highlighting the Army’s article. “Her journey from battling depression & suicidal thoughts to embracing authenticity inspires us all,” the DoD tweeted, adding “#WhyWeServe.”
But the PR campaign, which featured photos of the pudgy Jones holding Pride flags and working at a desk, also revealed a little-known truth about the Army’s fitness regimen, at least for trans troops.
Physical fitness does not matter to the brass.
The Post Millennial on Saturday cited a report by journalist Jordan Schachtel, who tweeted, “US service members who identify as transgender can seek an indefinite fitness standards exemption. That is how this guy managed to avoid PT (Physical Training).”
Schachtel noted that under Army regulations, troops in transition receive a 6-month exemption from physical training and can extend that for 6-month periods by providing commanders “updated medical documentation showing proof of continued cross-sex hormone treatment.”
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The exemption can last until the service member has “fully transitioned,” PM reported. It’s unclear how that is defined.
Under the change implemented by President Joe Biden in 2021, the Army must provide hormone therapy, mental health care, and any surgeries trans troops may require.
“Once the soldier feels stable and their transition is complete, their self-identified gender will be reflected in Army personnel records. Once that change is final, all physical standards and requirements for that given gender will apply,” Military.com reported in 2021.
But the Army has struggled in recent years with its fitness standards, regardless of who it was trying to measure.
The integration of women into combat roles led to a softening of fitness requirements, especially after the Army discovered women increasingly failed physical fitness tests using the thresholds for men.
The Army replaced a three-event fitness test that was developed four decades ago with a six-event evaluation that was supposed to be tougher and more effective for conditions on the contemporary battlefield.
Initially, men and women were held to the same standard. But when the new test was unveiled, 84% of women who took it failed. The Army also abandoned one part of the test after it proved repeatedly problematic for women.
Now, Congress may force the Army back to its previous test, partly in a display of frustration with the constant tweaking to the current standards.
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