Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said she expects the policy prohibiting transgendered individuals from serving in the military to come under review in the near future, reported USA Today. “Times change,” James told the paper. Asked whether dropping the ban would affect military readiness, she replied: “From my point of view, anyone who is capable of accomplishing the job should be able to serve.” She is the first service Secretary to publically support lifting the ban, according to the paper, joining House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on the list of high-profile individuals to support the idea. A 2014 Williams Institute study estimated approximately 15,500 transgender individuals are currently serving in the military. James said the policy “is likely to come under review in the next year or so.” President Obama signed the law repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law in 2010, allowing openly gay and lesbian people to serve in the military.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
