Military Boards Ignore Trans Ban, Recommend Retention
Nine out of 12 Navy and Marine review boards defy Pentagon’s transgender service member discharge orders.
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Military review boards across the Navy and Marine Corps are reportedly defying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s policy banning openly transgender-identifying service members, according to The New York Times. Nine out of 12 review boards have recommended retaining transgender service members, despite Pentagon directives calling for their discharge. This has raised concerns about the enforcement of military personnel policies and whether individual boards are prioritizing ideological views over readiness standards.
Following the executive order, the Pentagon implemented a voluntary separation program for transgender service members, resulting in hundreds leaving the military. Those who contested their dismissals faced three-member separation boards, which were given specific criteria to determine if a service member should be discharged. However, these boards have largely disregarded the established guidelines.
The Pentagon has declined to comment on ongoing litigation related to the issue. President Donald Trump, in a January 2025 executive order, stated that the Armed Forces have been affected by radical gender ideology to appease activists who disregard military service requirements such as physical and mental health, selflessness, and unit cohesion. He emphasized that expressing a false gender identity does not meet the rigorous standards for military service.
The U.S. Military is gender neutral and merit based. If you need to identify as anything other than male or female which is what the paperwork across the nation usually has in its infrastructure, then you disqualify yourself. Many were also joining the military to get their transgender surgeries and treatments paid for by the federal government. The military should not be the personal elective treatment facility for anyone. That was a waste of the military’s time and money. If you want surgery, stay out of the military and pay for it yourself like you should.
Marine Staff Sgt. Damien Contreras, a biological female, was placed on paid leave in April due to her 2017 hormone therapy and identification as male. In August, she was flown to Marine Corps Base Quantico for a separation board hearing. A government lawyer presented documents showing her struggles with gender identity. Instead of marking her as having a history of cross-sex hormone therapy, which is automatic grounds for separation, the board circled “remains qualified.”
The Navy has nearly twice as many individuals identifying as gay, bisexual, or transgender compared to other branches, suggesting potential ideological bias, according to the Times.
Source: Daily Caller
