And inevitable A Bulwark column by Will Selber (“retired spook”) takes on the Trump administration’s frenzied effort to purge the military of the miniscule number of transgender persons in the services. A casual observer might think it the greatest problem facing the Pentagon. As a commander, Selber had to deal with a lot of personnel issues from vaccine refusal to sexual assault charges. But his training provided little guidance for how to counsel an airman who wanted to transition. Still, his primary responsibility was to ensure his unit “was in tip-top shape at all times.” I asked, “You sure you want to do this?” The answer was yes. I must admit, I had some reservations. For old men like me, transgenderism is a foreign concept. So I read up on it. However, what really convinced me to approve the airman’s request was the airman. Imagine how much courage it took to come into a commander’s office and request such a procedure. That’s courage. And we need more of that in the military. If these team members were otherwise met standards for service, so what if they identify as transgender? Sure their presence was awkward at first for some other unit members, Selber explains. “However, at the end of the day, despite a few quips, they were integrated into the team.” It’s not as if Americans are lining up to serve their country in the military these days. Patriotism for many consists of waving flags and collecting guns. Why would the…