WASHINGTON \u2013 A federal court has knocked down the Trump administration\u2019s latest request to delay any transgender recruits from enlisting in the military as of Jan. 1, 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Monday ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said the Justice Department\u2019s argument that the Pentagon did not have sufficient time to prepare to receive transgender recruits lacked merit, citing the amount of time that had passed from the initial ruling in October and their last-minute appeal to prevent the enlistments from occurring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf complying with the military\u2019s previously established January 1, 2018, deadline to begin accession was as unmanageable as Defendants now suggest, one would have expected Defendants to act with more alacrity,\u201d the judge wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Judge Kollar-Kotelly also cited some of the things DoD has put in place to be ready to openly accept transgender recruits, including training more than 250 medical personnel at military entrance processing stations and has published a handbook, \u201cTransgender Service in the U.S. Military,\u201d to guide commanders, trainers and fellow enlistees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n