Admiral Zukunft (sounds like “suck unfit“) may be the Commandant of the Coast Guard, but it sure seems as if the Connecticut native may need some brushing up what exactly the chain of command is, as well as who it is that answers to who.
On the heels of President Trump’s recently announced ban on allowing sexually confused individuals (complete with breast implants and self-mutilated genitals) from serving in the Armed Forces, the Coastie head honcho has quite publically taken it upon himself to defy the legally elected Commander-in-Chief.
Reportedly as he first heard of Trump’s ban last week, Zukunft’s first move was to pick up his phone and call one of the 13 Coast Guardthings who identify themselves as transgendered.
As Zukunft told him/her/it, “We have made an investment in you and you have made an investment in the Coast Guard and I will not break faith.”
Sadly for the hundreds of thousands who have served this nation with pride and honor as members of the US Coast Guard (well over 200,000 just in WWII alone), Adm. Zukunft has forgotten his oath of enlistment as well as Constitution 101:
Article II Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the Commander in Chief clause, states that “[t]he President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States.”
“We have made an investment in you and you have made an investment in the Coast Guard and I will not break faith” – Commandant Adm. Zukunft https://t.co/jTF4d46zkn
— Katie Schubauer (@Katie_Schubauer) August 1, 2017
As reported by Travis J. Tritten of The Washington Examiner;
Adm. Paul Zukunft said his first call after hearing of the ban last week was to one of 13 Coast Guardsmen who have come out as transgender under the Pentagon’s year-old policy of open service.
“We have made an investment in you and you have made an investment in the Coast Guard and I will not break faith,” Zukunft said, recounting the conversation during a talk at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “And so, that is the commitment to our people right now.”
Reached after Zukunft’s appearance, the Coast Guard said it would not elaborate on his statements.
In the wake of Trump’s announcement, the admiral said his second call about the transgender ban was to retired Gen. John Kelly, then the director of Homeland Security, and then Kelly contacted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The Coast Guard then set up a “tiger team” of legal expert officers from the Judge Advocate General’s Corps to deal with the situation.
After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
….Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
….victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
