Air Force of the United States to withhold retirement benefits from transgender personnel being discharged from service
U.S. Air Force Denies Early Retirement to Transgender Service Members
In a move that has sparked controversy, the U.S. Air Force has denied early retirement benefits to transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years. This decision reverses earlier approvals and leaves these individuals with the choice of separation without retirement benefits or a lump-sum separation payment typically given to junior troops.
The new policy, announced in a Monday memo, states that the decision to deny retirement benefits was made "after careful consideration of the individual applications." However, the Air Force spokesperson did not mention any changes to the policy regarding the separation of transgender service members without retirement benefits.
The impact on transgender service members is severe. Many have served for years while concealing their identities, only to face forced separation without fair retirement compensation after coming out in accordance with official Department of the Air Force policies. Some affected members and advocacy groups highlight this as a discriminatory, punitive measure driven by transphobia and animus, describing it as a betrayal of those who "followed the rules" and served honorably.
The denial of early retirement is tied to the Trump administration’s policies directing the military to remove transgender individuals unless granted case-by-case waivers, which have not been approved in practice. The Air Force initially allowed these service members to apply for early retirement under Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA)—a policy tool historically used during military drawdowns—but then rejected all applications after initial approvals.
The Pentagon was given permission to move forward with a ban on all transgender troops serving in the military by the Supreme Court in early May. The Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, announced a policy in May that would offer currently serving transgender troops the option to either voluntarily leave and receive a large, one-time separation payout or be involuntarily separated at a later date. However, the new policy does not offer transgender service members with 15 to 18 years of honorable service the option to apply for an exception to the policy.
About a dozen service members were prematurely notified that they could retire, but this decision was later reversed. Transgender service members who do not meet the requirements for a lump-sum separation payment will be removed from the Air Force without benefits.
The Pentagon views the policy as treating anyone impacted by it with dignity and respect, according to a Pentagon official. However, transgender troops have found the separation process, which includes reverting their service records to their birth gender, to be "dehumanizing" or "open cruelty," according to reports from July.
The current status is that transgender Air Force members between 15 and 18 years of service are being denied early retirement benefits, forced to separate without those benefits, and this follows from the anti-transgender military policies instituted under the Trump administration and upheld into 2025. The policy’s effects are causing emotional and financial distress among affected service members, highlighting systemic discrimination concerns raised by organizations like GLAAD and personal testimonials from transgender Airmen.
- The denial of early retirement benefits to transgender Air Force members who have served between 15 and 18 years is linked to the anti-transgender military policies instated under the Trump administration, which were upheld into 2025.
- The policy changes on war-and-conflicts front and general news domains also encompass the severe impact this decision has on transgender service members, causing emotional and financial distress among affected Airmen.
