President Obama Agrees With Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's Comments on Transgender Service

"The President agrees with the sentiment that all Americans who are qualified to serve should be able to serve."

WASHINGTON, DC - February 23, 2015 – Today during the daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest responded to a reporter's question on the President's reaction to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's remarks on transgender service yesterday at a town hall in Kandahar, Afghanistan. According to Earnest, "The President agrees with the sentiment that all Americans who are qualified to serve should be able to serve."

AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack responded with the following statement:

"It's now abundantly clear that both the Commander-in-Chief as well as the Secretary of Defense believe that all qualified Americans should be able to serve. So now is the time for action - action to end the outdated ban harming our brave transgender service members and their families. All qualified Americans - regardless of their gender identity - deserve to be able to serve our nation openly and honestly."

Yesterday, at a town hall meeting in Kandahar, Afghanistan, AMPA member and medical corps officer U.S. Navy LCDR Jesse Ehrenfeld asked Secretary Carter, "What are your thoughts on transgender service members serving in an austere environment like this here in Kandahar? Secretary Carter replied: "I come at that from a fundamental starting point. It's not something I've studied a lot since I became secretary of defense. But I come at this kind of question from a fundamental starting point, which is that we want to make our conditions and experience of service as attractive as possible to our best people in our country. And I'm very open-minded about -- otherwise about what their personal lives and proclivities are, provided they can do what we need them to do for us. That's the important criteria. Are they going to be excellent service members? And I don't think anything but their suitability for service should preclude them."

Following Secretary Carter's remarks, AMPA issued this release urging him to take action: http://eepurl.com/be0mNz