A new Pentagon policy will severely restrict the ability of so-called transgender members of the Armed Forces to avoid discharge by convincing a separation board to retain them on active duty. Under previous policy, transgenders identified for discharge could appeal to a separation board to overturn the administrative process. The new policy permits commanders to set aside the separation board recommendation and require discharge.
One of President Trump’s earliest acts was to issue an executive order titled Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness. This order revoked a Joe Biden, or perhaps an autopenned, executive order which had encouraged transgenders to join the military and protected those currently on duty; see Executive Order 14004—Enabling All Qualified Americans to Serve Their Country in Uniform. That, in turn, had revoked an memorandum issued by President Trump during his first term that barred transgenders from service; see Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security Regarding Military Service by Transgender Individuals.
[Let me digress here for a moment to examine how the administrative process works under Republican versus Democrat administrations. Biden was able to revoke a Trump memo without issue. On the other hand, the memo written by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that created the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals, or DACA/Dreamer, program has proved impervious to all attacks. Go figure.]
The current estimate is that about 4,200 transgenders haunt the ranks and about 1,000 of those have requested voluntary separation.
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