[Freakinoldguy]

This is what happens when the recruitment standards are lowered to a point that "anyone" with a pulse can enlist. If you want a sex change get a fucking sex change but, don't enlist just so the military can pay for your predilection for personal gender reassignment.

I guess the first questions to now be asked at your initial recruiting interview will be. Do you have a penis and how long do you intend to keep it.

[Public_Domain]

[Freakinoldguy]

Public_Domain Public_Domain:

Since we don't want to encourage people to join for any reason other than self-sacrifice for country, how about ending those eductaion perks they go to high schools to goad kids with?

You're thinking more of the American Armed Forces and their commercials. In Canada they only accept and educate vetted people so they're effective in the trades they choose and for the record they're normally required to serve a minimum of 2 months for every month of education they've received.

For the Canadian Military it's not a "free" education like some people seem to think. It's a payback with sweat equity education. So, if you get a 4 year university degree you'll end up having to serve around 96 months before you're even eligible to ask for a release and given the requirements to be selected it's definitely not like a normal University which seem to take pretty much any secondary school student who can pay the tuition.

http://www.forces.ca/en/page/paideducation-96

As for the rest of the Armed Forces, the reality is that the only education perks you get are on the other end of your career and have either been pensioned out or released medically.

So equating it to going in to get free gender reassignment surgery is a bit of a red herring.

[BartSimpson]

Public_Domain Public_Domain:

Since we don't want to encourage people to join for any reason other than self-sacrifice for country, how about ending those eductaion perks they go to high schools to goad kids with?

The education 'perks' are part of the cost of transitioning someone back to civilian life.

Given that you can be recalled to duty (in the US) until you're 65 (and there's no age limit if you're a doctor) then the education benefit can result in someone who's more educated when they return to service than when they left it.

Gender reassignment means surgery and a lifetime of hormone therapy that effectively becomes a medical condition justifying a discharge.

There is no military purpose in performing any cosmetic surgery (that's what this is) on someone and then expecting them to be fit for combat service when they have to also be on a daily regimen of hormones.

It's not like you get to call a time out during battle so you can take your estrogen/testosterone shot.

[BeaverFever]

So then what if they become permanently sick or injured and not eligible for recall? Is their treatment a waste of resources too?

Also AFAIK getting gender reassignment doesn't result in discharge so why would it affect a recall?

[raydan]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

Also AFAIK getting gender reassignment doesn't result in discharge so why would it affect a recall?

"Gender reassignment" and "discharge" in the same sentence... there must be a great joke in there somewhere.

[BartSimpson]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

So then what if they become permanently sick or injured and not eligible for recall? Is their treatment a waste of resources too?

Giving someone an optional or elective surgery that renders them unfit for combat duty defeats the purpose of the military.

Let them have the surgery after they leave the service. Make it a benefit if you really want to.