Top officers at the U.S. Coast Guard have come to the defense of transgender servicemembers, following President Trump’s announcement last week that he would be banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. Speaking at a forum in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Admiral Paul Zukunft, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said he personally reached out to all 13 members of the Coast Guard who have come out as transgender.

Admiral Paul Zukunft: “I reached out personally to Lt. Taylor Miller, who was featured on the cover of The Washington Post last week. Now, if you read that story, Taylor’s family has disowned her. Her family is the United States Coast Guard. And I told Taylor, 'I will not turn my back. We have made an investment in you, and you have made an investment in the Coast Guard, and I will not break faith.'”

President Trump’s transgender ban was announced on July 26 in a series of three tweets and caught military leaders by surprise. The chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has said he won’t implement the policy until the president gives direction to Secretary of Defense James Mattis.