President Trump announcing a ban on transgender people serving in the military has brought criticism from the likes of Chelsea Manning and George Takei, but veteran and Wounded Warrior J.R. Salzman has a few things to add:
BREAKING: President Trump tweets that he won't allow transgender individuals "to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military" pic.twitter.com/xZAlQ1mJAe
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 26, 2017
And suddenly thousands of people who never served a day in the military will become experts. https://t.co/0NwuCPOdqU
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Salzman shared his personal experiences:
Wanna go through life confused about whether you're a man or a woman? Go for it. But you don't get to be a distraction in the military.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
There's no such thing as an army of one. You stow that individuality BS and become part of the team. You're either uniform or you're wrong.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
The same people who think a "woman" with a penis should be allowed in group showers are saying Trumps move degrades the military.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Want to see a lot of pissed off soldiers? Tell 150 men they have to share two porta-johns at air assault school while 5 women get their own
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
My air assault school. We were told men and women are equal, except when we're not. Now give a special one to the "woman" with the penis.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Nothing pisses off troops more than individuality and special treatment. You're either uniform, or you're not. You're either right or wrong.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
I served in Iraq in 2006. For the first five months I was on a 12 man firebase out in the middle of nowhere in the desert.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Everyday was Groundhog Day. Wake up and do the same patrols, the same shifts, every single day. It was so damn hot. 150° in the gun trucks.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Tracer fire would go overhead occasionally at night. IED's on the road were a daily threat. We got resupplied food every 8 days.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
QRF was an hour away. After they made the minimum three gun truck rule after the guys got kidnapped, life got harder.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
The stress of being out there and doing the same job every single day eats away at you. The younger guys had problems with that overtime.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Any tiny little personal issue they had suddenly became a mountain. And that shit came out on that fire base. And they snapped mentally.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
After stepping on each other's nuts living in the same can for five months, guys were at each other's throats. The stress made it worse.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Guys would literally snap over a dear John letter. Their personal issues came out and they were instantly combat ineffective.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Now take someone confused about whether they are a man/woman. Take those psychological and emotional issues and put them in that environment
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Take someone who is right off the bat not uniform or part of the same team. Give them special treatment because of their identity.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Take that person, put them in that stressful war environment and watch what happens. It's a fucking ticking time bomb.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
You have to be incredibly tough mentally, physically and emotionally. War is not a fucking video game. It tests every ounce of your being.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
You can't teach someone to be a fearless warrior in a fucking PowerPoint. You either have it or you don't. You can hack it or you can't.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
We had guys who couldn't. When faced with combat situations they crumbled. They had mental and emotional issues. They were a liability.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
To be successful at war, you have to become a warrior mentally, physically, and emotionally. You can't fake it and go through the motions.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
In war if it comes down to kill or be killed, and you hesitate, you're dead. It's a simple as that. It's not a fucking video game.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
War is no place for people who are mentally, emotionally, or physically confused or in turmoil. You have your shit together, or you don't.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
And if you don't, you'll just get people needlessly killed. Political correctness has absolutely no place in the military.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
Enough for now. This one armed veteran has a business to run. Unlike Iran, the country that took my arm, Obama didn't pay me millions.
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) July 26, 2017
‘Nuff said.
Must read:@jrsalzman thank you for your dedicated service and voice of experienced reason. We are grateful to you. https://t.co/bbxZfcyXgv
— Adam Mayer (@adamfmayer) July 26, 2017
