The Defense secretary said the "fundamental reason" for the change was that the military needed access to "all talent possible" in order to remain "the finest fighting force the world has ever known."
Our mission is to defend this country. And we don't want barriers unrelated to a person's qualification to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, airman or marine who can best accomplish the mission. We have to have access to 100% of America's population for our all-volunteer force to be able to recruit from among them the most highly-qualified and to retain them.
Carter said the Rand Corporation estimated that the number of active-duty service members and reservists ranged anywhere from 4,000 individuals at the low end to 11,000 at the high end. Some organizations have estimated closer to 15,000.
He also called the work leading to today an "educational process" for the working group he assigned to study the matter and then outlined the implementation process:
I directed the working group to 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. I think it's fair to say this has been an educational process for a lot of people here in the department, including me. We had to look carefully and deliberately at medical, legal, and policy considerations that have been evolving very rapidly in recent years and we had to take into account the unique nature of military readiness and make sure we got it right. [...]
It's worth noting, for example, that at least 18 countries already allow transgender personnel to serve openly in their military. These include close allies such as the United Kingdom, Israel and Australia and we were able to study how they dealt with this issue. [...]
I want to emphasize that in this case, as in the department's decisions on don't ask, don't tell, and women in service, simply declaring a change in policy is not effective implementation. That's why we have worked hard on the implementation plan and must continue to do so. These policies will be implemented in stages over the next 12 months, starting most immediately with guidance for current service members and their commanders, followed by training for the entire force, and then beginning to access new military service members who are transgender. Implementation will begin today. Starting today, otherwise qualified service members can no longer be in voluntarily separated discharged or denied reenlistment or continuation of service just for being transgender. Then, no later than 90 days from today, the department will complete and issue both a commander's guidebook for leading currently serving -- for leaders of currently serving transgender members, and medical guidance to doctors for providing transition-related care, if required, to currently-serving transgender service members. Our military treatment facilities will begin providing transgender service members with all medically necessary care, based on that medical guidance. Also starting on that date, service members will be able to initiate the process to officially change their gender in our personnel management systems. Next, over the nine months that follow, based on detailed guidance and training materials that will be prepared, the services will conduct training of the force, from commanders to medical personnel to the operating force and recruiters. When the training is complete, no later than one year from today, the military services will begin accessing transgender individuals who meet all standards. Holding them to the same mental and physical standards as everyone else who wants to join the military.
Our initial accession policy will require an individual to have completed any medical treatment that their doctor has determined is necessary in connection with their gender transition, and to have been stable in their identified gender in 18 months, as certified by their doctor, before they can enter the military.
Carter added that the accession policy would be reviewed no later than two years from today.