UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 051937Z AUG 16 FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC CNO WASHINGTON DC CMC WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS ALNAV 053/16 MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/AUG// SUBJ/SERVICE OF TRANSGENDER SAILORS AND MARINES INTERIM GUIDANCE// REF/A/SECDEF MEMORANDUM/30JUN16// REF/B/DOC/DODI 1300.28/30JUN16// NARR/REF A is DTM 16-005, Military Service of Transgender Service Members. REF B is Department of Defense Instruction 1300.28, In -Service Transition for Transgender Service Members.// RMKS/1. On June 30, 2016, the Secretary of Defense announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) had lifted the ban preventing transgender individuals from serving their Nation in the military. The Department of the Navy (DON) remains committed to ensuring that all who are qualified and wish to serve have the opportunity to do so. Until DON policies and procedures are released, interim guidance for the service of transgender Sailors and Marines is provided in this ALNAV. 2. Consistent with the policies and procedures set forth in references (a) and (b), transgender individuals shall be allowed to serve openly in the DON. These policies and procedures are premised on the conclusion that open service by transgender Sailors and Marines, while being subject to the same standards and procedures as other members with regard to their medical fitness for duty, physical fitness, uniform and grooming, deployability, and retention, is consistent with military readiness. 3. Applicability. This policy applies to all DON military personnel, including those serving in the Reserve Components. 4. Definitions a. Transgender Service Member. A Service Member who has received a medical diagnosis indicating that gender transition is medically necessary, including any Service Member who intends to begin transition, is undergoing transition, or has completed transition and is stable in the preferred gender. b. Gender transition process. Gender transition in the military begins when a Service Member receives a diagnosis from a military medical provider indicating that the members gender transition is medically necessary, and concludes when the Service Members gender marker in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) is changed and the member is recognized in the preferred gender. 5. Timeline for Implementation. Policies for the service of transgender Sailors and Marines will be implemented in stages over the next year-starting most immediately with addressing the needs of current Sailors and Marines, followed by training for the entire force, and ultimately accession of transgender applicants. a. Effective immediately (1) Transgender Sailors and Marines may serve openly, subject to the procedures set forth in this ALNAV. (2) Transgender Sailors and Marines will be subject to the same standards as any other member. (3) Sailors and Marines shall not be involuntarily separated, discharged or denied reenlistment, nor continuation of service, solely on the basis of their gender identity. (4) A Sailor or Marine whose ability to serve is adversely affected by a medical condition or medical treatment related to their gender identity should be treated in a manner consistent with a member whose ability to serve is similarly affected for reasons unrelated to gender identity or gender transition. (5) Exceptions to Policy (ETP). DON policies and procedures related to transgender service and gender transition to include completing a gender marker change in DEERS are being developed. In the interim, requests related to transgender service and for gender transition shall be submitted through the first General or Flag Officer in the chain of command, via Chief of Naval Personnel/Deputy Commandant (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) and ultimately to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)(ASN(M&RA)) for adjudication. ETPs will be addressed on a case-by- case basis, following the spirit and intent of references (a) and (b). (6) Sailors and Marines and Commanders and Commanding Officers with questions regarding service of transgender Service Members should contact their Service Central Coordination Cell (SCCC). b. No later than October 1, 2016. (1) The DoD will issue a training handbook for Commanders and Commanding Officers, transgender Service Members, and the force; and medical guidance for providing transition related care to transgender members. (2) The Military Health System will be required to provide transgender Sailors and Marines all medically necessary care related to gender transition, based on the guidance that is issued. (3) Reference (b) is effective October 1, 2016. Sailors and Marines will be able to begin the process to officially change their gender in personnel management systems. Once the Sailor or Marines gender marker is changed, the member will be responsible for meeting all applicable military standards in the preferred gender and will use military berthing, bathroom, and shower facilities associated with their preferred gender. c. Between November 2016 - July 2017. DON will conduct training for every Sailor and Marine, with specialized training provided for Commanders and Commanding Officers and medical personnel. d. No later than July 1, 2017. The Navy and Marine Corps will begin accessing transgender applicants who meet all standards. The gender identity of an otherwise qualified individual will not bar them from joining the Navy or Marine Corps, from admission to the United States Naval Academy, or from participating in Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps or any other accession program. 6. Harassment. It is DoD policy that discrimination based on gender identity is a form of sex discrimination. DoD and DON issuances are being revised to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and to incorporate such prohibitions in all aspects of the DON Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) program. 7. Responsibilities a. ASN(M&RA) (1) Adjudicate ETP requests received from Sailors and Marines requesting gender transition. (2) By November 1, 2016, promulgate a Secretary of the Navy instruction to establish policy, assign responsibilities, and prescribe procedures for the standards of retention, accession, separation, in-service transition, and medical coverage for transgender personnel serving in the military services. (3) Ensure all DON and Service regulations, policies, and guidance are reviewed and updated, in accordance with references (a) and (b). b. Chief of Naval Operations and Commandant of the Marine Corps (1) Continue to ensure that all Sailors and Marines are able to perform their duties free from unlawful discrimination. It is DON policy that discrimination based on gender identity is a form of sex discrimination. (2) As in all cases, ensure that all Sailors and Marines are afforded the opportunity to obtain mental health care and allowed reasonable accommodations to receive medical care as recommended by their medical providers. In-service medical care for issues related to transgender service or gender transition do not require exceptions to policy. (3) Continue support of SCCCs to provide multi-disciplinary (e.g., medical, legal, military personnel management) expert advice and assistance to Commanders with regard to service by transgender Service Members and gender transition in the military and assist Commanders in the execution of DoD, DON, and Service policies and procedures. (4) Effective immediately, provide a weekly update to ASN(M&RA) summarizing requests for ETPs for adjudication. (5) Effective immediately, review all Service issuances, the content of which relate to, or may be affected by, the open service of transgender Service Members, and provide a list of affected issuances to ASN(M&RA). (6) No later than November 1, 2016, create a Service-wide training and education plan, to include specialized training for Commanders and Commanding Officers and medical personnel. The training of Sailors and Marines across the DON shall be completed no later than July 1, 2017. (7) No later than November 1, 2016, issue implementing guidance, addressing the military service of transgender Service Members, to include establishing a process by which transgender Sailors/Marines may transition gender while serving, consistent with mission, training, operational, and readiness needs, and a procedure whereby a Sailors/Marines gender marker will be changed in DEERS. (8) No later than November 1, 2016, provide to ASN(M&RA) a list of facility changes that may be required to fully implement references (a) and (b), with associated costs. (9) No later than July 1, 2017, update all existing Service regulations, policies, and guidance, or promulgate new issuances as appropriate, in accordance with references (a) and (b). 8. Points of Contact. Questions on transgender service policy should be directed to the Navy and Marine Corps SCCCs: a. Navy SCCC: Comm: 1-855-628-9311 or email: usn_navy_sccc @navy.mil b. Marine Corps SCCC: Comm: 703-784-9386, DSN: 278-9386 or email: USMC.SCCC@usmc.mil c. DoD SCCC: https://defense.gov/transgender 9. Released by Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//