Washington (AP) – US Air Force said on Thursday that it will refuse everyone Transgender service member Those who have served between 15 and 18 years, will be separated quickly without retirement. Sergeant of an Air Force said that it was “betrayal and destroyed” by the move.
The move means that the members of the transgender service will now be removed from separate payments or service to junior soldiers.
An Air Force spokesman told Associated Press that “although 15 to 18 -year honorable service members were allowed to apply for the exception of policy, none of the exceptions to the policy was approved.” According to the spokesperson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the policy of the internal Air Force, about a dozen service members were “informed prematurely” that they would be able to retire before reversing that decision.
A memorandum issued a new policy on Monday, which was reviewed by AP, stated that the option to deny the benefits of retirement was made “after carefully considering” personal applications “.
All transgender members of the Air Force are being separated from service Trump administration policies,
The separation process has hit some bumps
This step comes after permission by Pentagon Supreme Court in early May To proceed with a ban on all transgender soldiers serving in the army. After days, defense secretary Peat hegseth A declaration of a policy that would openly serve transgender soldiers openly, either the volunteer leaving and a large, one -time separation payment and the subsequent discovering the later date.
A Pentagon official told reporters in May that he treated the policy as anyone who influenced with dignity and respect. “
However, in late July, transgender soldiers Told comittry.com That they were finding the entire separation process, including taking back the penis of their birth back to the penis, “inhuman” or “open cruelty”.
Shannon Lery, a lawyer, who represents people in cases of employment discrimination to LGBTQ+ people say that she expects cases to challenge Thursday’s decision. “It sounds quite arbitrary on its face and cruel,” he said. “These military members have dedicated their lives to serve our country.”
Generally, Lery said, when the initial retirement is offered in the army, it is available to all the members who have served in 15 years. He said that he hopes that other service branches will follow the way to the Air Force.
An Air Force Service member says that it is ‘destroyed’
Logan Ireland, a master’s Sergeant in the US Air Force, who has a 15 -year service, including deployment in Afghanistan is one of the policy affected airmen. He said, “I think the news has been betrayed and destroyed.”
Ireland said he was told that his retirement was being denied on Wednesday when his command series, “with tears in his eyes, told him the news.
Officials have said that till December 9, 2024, 4,240 troops were diagnosed with “Linga Disphoreia” on active duty, national guards and reserves. Pentagon officials are trans trans trans trans, which is the main way to identify soldiers, decided to use the situation and its diagnosis.
However, both are not an accurate match – not each transgender person has the situation. Consequently, there is an understanding that the actual number of transgender people within about 2 million soldiers of the army may be more.
Under the latest policy, active duty soldiers voluntarily received a payment to recognize themselves and receive a payment, while the National Guard and the soldiers in the reserve were till 7 July. The Pentagon officials had first told reporters that they plan to find the commanders and any transgender service members at the existing annual medical screening that do not come forward.
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Associated press author Jyoff Mulvihil contributed to reporting.
Contantin Toropin, Associated Press