FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Officials at Fort Leavenworth confirmed Thursday afternoon that Bradley Manning arrived at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks to begin serving a 35-year prison term.
Earlier on Thursday, the WikiLeaks source announced in a statement read on NBC’s “Today” show that he intends to begin hormone therapy for gender reassignment and live the rest of his life as a woman,
A military spokesman told FOX 4 that this will not happen at Fort Leavenworth prison, where Manning will serve his time.
Manning, 25, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking hundreds of thousands of U.S. military and diplomatic documents.
Military spokesperson George Marcec told FOX 4 that Manning will be evaluated when he arrives at the prison, as are all prisoners. Marcec said it is possible Manning could be diagnosed with ‘gender identification disorder’ but said he won’t be allowed to have surgery to change his gender or to undergo hormone therapy.
Manning wants to be referred to as Chelsea — not Bradley — according to the statement.
“As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition. I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back,” Manning said in a statement, which was obtained by the Today show on Thursday.
Marcec said the military does not treat gender identification disorder other than to provide mental health therapy, to which Manning will have access.
Manning, 25, was convicted in July of stealing 750,000 pages of classified documents and videos and disseminating them to WikiLeaks, the online anti-secrecy group. The judge also reduced his rank from private first class to private, ordered him to forfeit pay and benefits and be dishonorably discharged.
