Trump revives ban on trans forces and suspends all gender affirming care
According to a memo submitted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, the Department of Defense has restored restrictions on transgender recruits joining the military.
WASHINGTON – The Air Force yanks the retirement benefits of transgender airmen who were kicked out of the military by the Trump administration after saying their applications were approved.
The pentagon moved earlier this year to purge trans service members from military ranks. They were offered a “separation” payment, according to a February memo from department leadership.
The Air Force said in May that transgender airmen who served between 2015 and 18 years could withdraw their voluntary separation pay request and apply for early retirement instead.
Approximately 12 people who applied were said to have been approved as “premature,” according to an Air Force statement. The Air Force then backtracked.
“After careful consideration of individual applications, I disapproved everything,” Brian Scarlett, assistant secretary for Air Force Manpower and Reserve Affairs secretary, wrote in a note originally obtained by Reuters.
“I did everything right.”
“It feels like a betrayal. I’m devastated. I’m heartbroken,” said Air Force Master Sergeant Logan Ireland, who has served 15 years in November, including deployments to Afghanistan and Qatar and multiple overseas tours.
Ireland said there is already a resignation order and a date of retirement on December 1st. His parents had bought tickets to travel to Hawaii’s Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickham, which is currently stationed for the retirement party.
“I did everything right. I was only a few months away from leaving the army with the dignity and respect I thought I would be given,” Ireland told USA Today.
The Air Force said these airlines will “have the opportunity” to apply for voluntary separation. Logan said he received a new deadline of August 15th to apply for payment. The original deadline to apply has passed for a long time – regular Air and Space Force members, Air Force Reserves July 7th, 6th.
Ireland said he doesn’t know what the value of voluntary separation will be, but he no longer has a pension. He said benefits from some states and schools are also off the table.
“We were planning on retiring,” he said. “I’m navigating to getting out of the army with a lot of unknowns.”
The Navy cannot retire transgender members with less than 18 years of service, according to guidance issued in May. According to Army guidance, trans members in 2015-18 can “request “early retirement” and “early retirement” for consideration.”
The Pentagon said military commanders should begin a medical record review of military personnel who believe they have felt gender discomfort and have not made any progress in resignation.
A few days after taking office in January, President Donald Trump signed the executive order, stating that transgender soldiers “didn’t meet the strict standards required for military service.” In early February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses issued a memo banning transgender people from joining the military, and the Pentagon began serving military personnel in June.
A group of trans service members challenged the court’s policy, but the Supreme Court upheld the ban on the May ruling.
Trump also banned transgender people in his first term, but the policy was quickly retracted by former President Joe Biden.
