Military strategy draft details removal of transgender service members from armed forces
Washington DC - Transgender military personnel have been instructed to voluntarily leave active duty service by June 6, as per Defense Department guidance issued by Secretary Pete Hegseth. Following this date, the military is set to initiate involuntary separations for active-duty transgender service members who remain.
The Army has issued additional guidance outlining how it will identify and interact with soldiers with gender dysphoria. According to documents obtained by our News, personnel are instructed to address transgender troops in accordance with their medical assignment at birth instead of their preferred pronoun.
Secretary Hegseth had previously assured transgender service members in a February memo that they would be treated with dignity. However, the Army's new internal directives to units suggest that commanders should intentionally use the assigned gender pronouns of transgender troops.
When the military begins to force out transgender troops through involuntary separations, soldiers will be expected to identify fellow service members with gender dysphoria based on a list of criteria, including requests for grooming standard exemptions tied to medical assignment at birth or the initiation of a medical treatment plan related to gender dysphoria. Other relevant factors include overt conduct, either on social media or in person, that demonstrates a gender identity different from the assigned sex at birth.
Commanders will be instructed to review the medical records of service members suspected of having gender dysphoria, and transgender troops will be questioned about their identity during routine medical check-ups.
In his February memo filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that transgender troops would be "treated with dignity and respect." However, in public, he has criticized transgender service members. At a Special Operations Forces military conference in Florida, he said, "No more dudes in dresses, we're done with that s**t."
The Army's new policies run counter to transgender social norms, like addressing transgender troops by the pronouns they prefer. Transgender infantry officer and Afghanistan veteran Kara Corcoran, who faces separation from the armed forces, defended the service of transgender troops when contacted by our News.
Corcoran said, "By implementing this guidance, you're making it worse than the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, because you're overtly hunting down and trying to identify transgender service members or anybody that...exhibits symptoms of gender dysphoria."
The Army defines gender dysphoria as a marked incongruence between an individual's experienced or expressed gender and their assigned gender, leading to significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
The Army guidance issued to units on Wednesday suggests that identifying with a gender different from one's sex assigned at birth is at odds with the values of truthfulness and discipline expected of service members. The guidance echoes President Trump's January executive order stating that the values of transgender service members represent a departure from the "humility and selflessness required" of military members and are "inconsistent with" the "cohesion" the armed forces demand.
When contacted by our News, an Army spokesperson at the Pentagon confirmed that additional guidance had been issued since May 8 as the service continues to voluntarily separate service members. The spokesman said that soldiers should use the biological sex-aligned pronouns when referring to fellow soldiers, even in salutations, and that commanders should revise official records to reflect service members' sex at birth.
In the interim, transgender troops will be expected to comply with policies aligned with their biological sex, ranging from physical fitness standards to uniform requirements, sleeping quarters, and access to restrooms and showers.
Under current policy, decisions to separate soldiers outside standard regulatory grounds rest solely with the secretary of the Army. Enlisted transgender soldiers will be separated under the Secretarial Plenary Authority, a mechanism the Army acknowledges is rarely used. These separations will result in an RE-3 enlistment code, making the soldiers ineligible to rejoin the Army or any other U.S. military service without a waiver.
Transgender officers will receive a Code JDK upon separation, which is typically applied to discharge paperwork where a service member is separated from the U.S. military for a security reason. This separation code may pose complications for future employment requiring a security clearance.
Despite these challenges, Corcoran offered a reflection on patriotism, duty, and shared sacrifice, stating, "We transgender service members believe in the same American values you do-liberty and freedom. The nation's strength comes together for a common purpose in the face of the ever-increasing hostile global environment. It is in the blood of the warrior spirit that we all stand ready to fight, and if need be, die in the defense of the cherished institutions of America. Let us embody this by serving."
The new Army guidance, contrary to Secretary Hegseth's assurance of treating transgender service members with dignity, instructs commanders to intentionally use the assigned gender pronouns of transgender troops and review their medical records. This runs counter to transgender social norms and could arguably worsen the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy by overtly hunting down and identifying transgender service members.
Despite facing potential involuntary separations and challenges in future employment, transgender infantry officer Kara Corcoran remains committed to those American values of liberty, freedom, and the strength that comes together in the face of hostilities. She emphasizes that they share the same patriotism, duty, and willingness to fight and, if necessary, die in defense of American institutions, just like any other service member.
