Bill Johnson on President Trump's Military Transgender Announcement

Statement

Congressman Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) released the following statement in regards to President Trump's military transgender announcement:

"Today the President announced that people who want to be recognized as the opposite of their sex and gender will not be permitted to serve in the U.S. military.

"While many mainstream media outlets are quickly seeking out military veterans in Congress to criticize the president's common-sense action, other veteran leaders must also be heard.

"Throughout my 27-year career in the Air Force, I commanded troops in many stressful and critical situations. I know first-hand that, whether it's door to door fighting in a terrorist stronghold, flying faster than the speed of sound in a fighter jet, or controlling the immense power of our nuclear armory, our military jobs are critical to our national security. And the first and foremost qualification for the men and women who want to fill those jobs must be that they are the best possible choice to advance the mission.

"No one has a right to serve in the American armed forces. We routinely turn away people who are too short, too tall, too heavy or too fragile to withstand the demands of military work. We also turn away applicants who have a wide variety of mental and emotional challenges. Being a member of the United States military, the most elite fighting force the world has ever known, demands that a person come to the team with their personal issues resolved…because, the performance of a war-fighting unit operating under extremely difficult circumstances demands it - it's a matter of life and death.

"President Trump made the right call, and the vast majority of Americans agree with him."

Source