Military commanders will soon be tasked with identifying and removing transgender service members or those with gender dysphoria, according to Pentagon officials, a directive that's part of President Trump's order to ban openly transgender individuals from serving in the US military. Commanders will use the annual health checks all troops must undergo to single out those individuals, per the AP. While there were previous plans to comb through all service members' health records to find cases of gender dysphoria, which is when someone doesn't identify with their biological sex, officials now say that approach has been set aside—at least for the time being.
Instead, the responsibility will fall on troops' direct commanders, who could become aware of someone's gender identity during the routine health evaluations or through reports from others. Those who don't voluntarily disclose their status could still be identified and subjected to medical review, potentially resulting in removal from service. The requirement puts commanders in a position of outing service members, similar to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era, when gay troops could be discharged if their sexual orientation became known. The officials acknowledged the process is likely to be complex and drawn out.
Military.com notes there's one thing that could prompt transgender troops to voluntarily reveal their status: money. Officials note that a soldier with an enlisted pay grade of E-5 and 10 years of service under their belt could receive more than $100,000 for leaving the service; that same person would receive about half that if they're involuntarily separated. A senior defense official on Thursday told reporters that it's estimated there are about 4,200 troops affected by gender dysphoria, per the Military Times. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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