Seventeen Air Force members who identify as “transgender” are suing the federal government for revoking their retirement orders and benefits that it had previously reportedly granted. Instead of receiving pension income and medical benefits based on their 15-18 years of service, they will be terminated with no retirement payout or, at most, a one-time monetary benefit.
What Happened?
The policy changed in 2025 with the Trump administration, which ordered that transgender-identifying individuals would no longer serve in the military. The Department of War singled out openly transgender-identifying individuals for separation from the military pursuant to the policy that Department of War Secretary Hegseth issued at the direction of President Trump.
But several longtime servicemen are caught in the middle. These airmen had already served between 15 and 18 years and applied for and reportedly received valid retirement orders. But they got caught in shifting rules and regulations across the years from multiple administrations and were subsequently denied early retirement.
Retirement from the military is allowed only after 20 years of service, but a program called Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) has allowed exceptions. Under TERA, servicemen meeting certain well-defined criteria have been allowed to apply for retirement after 15 years of service. The program has lessened the financial blow of involuntary separation for servicemen in good standing with over 15 years of service who the military no longer wishes to employ.
I don’t have the legal expertise to weigh in on the merits or complexities of the airmen’s case, but I strongly resonate with their plight and looming financial harm because something similar happened to me.
My Story
I, too, had stellar job performance, and my position within the company was needed. After I altered my legal identification from male to female, however, my employer forced me out. Like the service members, I lost my job and future retirement benefits, which ruined me financially.
I was considered a valuable upper-level manager in good standing at American Honda Motor Company in October 1983. But when I told the higher-ups I identified as “transgender,” they showed me the door, with a box of my personal effects and a little severance package in hand. I descended into alcohol and drug abuse, penniless and homeless, lying face down in a pile of vomit in a small park in Long Beach, California.
I would not want that for anyone, especially service members, just because our nation’s military has failed to properly address the underlying issues associated with the population of good people who identify as “trans.”
Right vs. Wrong
That doesn’t mean forced separation was wrong. Employers have every right to end an employee’s employment.
But, sorry, Uncle Sam, when a program to cushion the blow is available, the good-faith action would be to allow the affected service members to participate. Issuing official retirement orders with promised benefits to these individuals and then rescinding them is inappropriate and sets a troubling precedent for how the military treats those who have faithfully fulfilled their duties for over 15 years.
It’s wrong to kick them to the curb and withhold retirement funds. It’s wrong because the U.S. federal government and its military services are the ones who authorized and approved the 17 men and women to enlist, identify as “transgender,” and remain in the Air Force for such a long time. One of the trans-identifying people named in the lawsuit had 15 years of service, served in Afghanistan, and rose to the rank of master sergeant.
The reality is that there is no such thing as being “transgender.” People can identify as “transgender,” but they cannot become or transition to a different sex or gender. That language describes a fantasy, an unachievable scenario.
When I interact with people who ask for my advice, I acknowledge their distress but assure them that their “gender” is not the issue and that altering appearances with hormones and surgery is not helpful or healing. More critical is for them to spend time, perhaps with a trauma therapist, to discover the deeper issues at the root of their disordered thoughts and behaviors. It takes work to uncover what causes a person’s desire to escape into a trans identity, but that is exactly what will help.
Uphold Decency
The military is a place to train warriors who will defend our nation. The military is not a place to indulge people pretending to be someone they can never be. But the government must shoulder the consequences of prior administration policies that created this situation, not the people caught in the middle of conflicting policies.
President Trump should uphold decency and integrity. His administration should respect the longevity and quality of this group’s service by offering them what other service members with 15-18 years of honorable service past would have received. Separate them from the armed forces, but give them the option of early retirement. Allow the military to treat all members fairly, even as administration policies change.
