"Starting Monday, the military begins paying for gender reassignment surgery for soldiers"

The Defense Department's policy states that if a soldier's ability to serve is "adversely affected by a medical condition or medical treatment related to their gender identity," they are eligible for reassignment surgery or hormone therapy, subject to a commander's approval for the timing.

By the RAND Corp.'s estimate in a June 2016 study, there are between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender troops on active duty.  Of those, between 30 and 140 would prefer hormone treatment, and 25 to 130 would seek surgery. 

The surgery will either be conducted at a military hospital or a private hospital if the former lacks the qualified care, USA Today reports. (More)

Via drudge: http://circa.com/politics/issues/us-government-will-pay-for-soldiers-gender-reassignment-surgery