Marines Close Transgender Service Loophole
Marine Corps ends policy allowing transgender troops to extend service under Trump’s ban.
2 min read
The Marine Corps has closed a loophole that allowed transgender service members to extend their enlistments while awaiting separation decisions under President Donald Trump’s military ban. The new policy eliminates temporary service extensions for Marines undergoing involuntary administrative separation, potentially forcing some out of the military even after review boards recommended retention, despite the Trump administration’s ban.
The change was announced in an administrative memo obtained by Military Times. The memo states, “The authority to grant service extensions to Marines undergoing involuntary administrative separation processing under the purview of reference (a) is rescinded.” The move follows reports that Navy and Marine Corps separation boards recommended retaining nine of 12 transgender service members despite the Trump administration’s ban, with final approval still requiring acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao’s authorization.
The Marine Corps did not immediately respond for comment. The policy change aligns with a 2025 executive order that formally separates transgender service members from the military. The order states, “Expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.” It adds, “A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”
Service members who opted for voluntary separation were offered twice the pay, while those who did not face separation boards. Though receiving hormones, undergoing transgender surgery, or identifying by something other than one’s biological sex automatically warrants separation, officers on boards still recommended retention. Temporary service extensions allowed transgender members to continue serving while awaiting these boards. The ending of these extensions will result in their expulsion from the military.
🚨 SCOTUS allows Trump admin to enforce transgender military ban. Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson would have denied the application.
Source: Daily Caller
