As we honor those men and women who gave their lives in defense of this country this Memorial Day, we also remember those who are not allowed to serve.

Despite assurances from the Obama administration that the ban on openly trans service members would be lifted on May 27, it's still in place.

Both President Obama and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter have voiced support for open service. After announcing plans to life the ban last summer, Carter formed a working group to determine how to best integrate trans people into the Armed Forces.

And a memo circulated among top military brass declared the ban would be lifted this month.

We have a gay Secretary of the Army, for gosh sakes!

So what's the holdup?

According to the Department of the Defense, opening the military to trans people is a "complicated" process that's taking longer than expected.

Only, the military's own reports indicate it's not complicated at all: Studies commissioned by the Pentagon claimed ending the band "would have minimal impact on the force" and would be "unlikely to harm unit cohesion."

"The notion that ending discrimination is 'complicated' is belied by all the evidence," says Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, an LGBT think tank.

"This includes research commissioned and reviewed by the Pentagon itself, which has found that implementing inclusive policy is straightforward."

Another study, authored by several retired General Officers, determined that "formulating and implementing inclusive policy is administratively feasible and neither excessively complex nor burdensome."

Belkin suggests the "complicated" claim is simply a smokescreen for fear and bigotry.

"The research and the path forward are clear. It's now a matter of whether the Obama administration will put its money where its mouth is."

White House press secretary Josh Earnest says an effective new policy for trans members “has higher stakes” when it comes to the Department of Defense than it does at other agencies.

With uniforms, physical standards and facilities separated by gender, the DoD does have to come up with sensible, fair policies that accommodate trans service members whiles till adhering to the military's strict standards.

But they've had at least since Don't Ask Don't Tell fell in 2011.

This isn't carping about a fine point that barely affects anyone: A a 2014 Williams Institute report revealed that 20% of transgender men and women—or one in every five—has served in the military. (That's more than twice the number in the general public.)

Other findings:

"Gender non-conforming people have been serving our country since the Revolutionary War, many with distinction,” Monica Helms of the Transgender American Veterans Association told the Georgia Voice.

"[If] at least 15 other ally countries have lifted the ban with no issues, then so can we, just like it was when we lifted the ban on LGB people. A trans woman even served on the same rescue team as Prince William and was at his wedding. There are between 12,000 and 15,000 trans people serving today. It’s time to allow them to come out of the closet."

Back in 2015, Secretary Carter slammed the current regulations regarding transgender service members: “We have transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines — real, patriotic Americans — who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that’s contrary to our value of service and individual merit."

He's reportedly claimed it will now be "months, but not large numbers of months” before the ban is lifted.

Let's hope he's as good as his word.