DOD Watch Supports Secretary Hegseth’s Defense of Military Standards Following Appeals Court Ruling

WASHINGTON – DOD Watch issued the following statement regarding the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision partially blocking the Department of Defense’s policy on transgender military service:  

“DOD Watch is disappointed by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to block the Department of Defense from implementing its policy regarding transgender service members while litigation continues. Decisions regarding force readiness, deployability, and military standards belong to the Department of Defense and the Commander in Chief. 

“Secretary Hegseth is right to continue defending the Department’s policy and to seek review before the Supreme Court. As one member of the appellate panel correctly recognized, courts lack both the expertise and authority to substitute their judgment for that of military leaders on matters of force composition and readiness. Military service has always required standards and restrictions that do not apply in civilian life, and those standards must be determined by defense officials charged with protecting the nation.

“For too long, Pentagon leadership prioritized politically fashionable social agendas over the core mission of building the most lethal, capable, and ready fighting force in the world. Restoring a military culture focused on readiness, merit, discipline, and mission effectiveness is essential to reversing years of declining confidence in military leadership and recruitment. 

“While the court’s ruling temporarily limits the Department’s ability to fully implement its policy, it notably allows restrictions on new transgender recruits to remain in place. Secretary Hegseth’s response was simple and appropriate: ‘See you at SCOTUS.’ DOD Watch stands with efforts to return military decision-making to military leaders and ensure that the armed forces remain focused on warfighting excellence rather than ideological activism.”

About DOD Watch: DOD Watch is dedicated to examining and informing the public about wokeness in the Department of War. By increasing public awareness of radical policies and practices infiltrating the Pentagon, DOD Watch aims to return the U.S. military to its mission of national defense through the traditional values of strength, excellence, and unity.

###