In Trump-era shift, Pentagon set to remove transgender service members from military

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Pentagon will begin discharging transgender service members who do not meet new requirements within 30 days, unless they are granted a waiver, according to a new US Defense Department memo.

“Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria will be processed for separation from military service,” said the memo made public Wednesday.

According to the memo, members may be "considered for a waiver on a case-by-case basis, provided there is a compelling government interest in retaining the service member that directly supports warfighting capabilities."

To receive a waiver, the service member must show 36 consecutive months of stability in their gender identity, without experiencing significant distress or issues in social, work, or other key areas of life.

In 2016, the administration of then-President Barack Obama lifted the US military’s ban on transgender troops, allowing those already serving to be open about their identity and planning to accept transgender recruits by July 1, 2017. However, after taking office in January 2017, the Trump administration in its first term delayed the recruitment date to 2018 before ultimately reversing the policy.

After returning to the White House this January, US President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders reshaping the military, including a ban on transgender individuals serving openly.

Trump said the order will ensure that the US has "the most lethal fighting force in the world" by getting "transgender ideology the hell out of our military."

Following the executive order, the US Army announced that it would no longer allow transgender individuals to enlist or receive gender transition-related medical procedures.

Trump also signed an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s and girls' sports and issued another recognizing only the male and female genders.