What The Hell America!

A CASUAL OBSERVER OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION might conclude that the biggest problem facing our military is that some service members are transgender. That seems to be the implication of the administration’s rushed new policy to kick out trans service members on the grounds that they are, by definition, “incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.” But on the list of things I dealt with during twenty years in the Air Force, including as a squadron commander and deputy group commander, dealing with trans airmen was far down the list.

Just for a sense of scale, there are more than 1.2 million people on active duty, not counting the reserves, the National Guard, or the Coast Guard. The best estimates are that about 15,500 of them—or about 1.2 percent—are trans. By comparison, according to the Pentagon’s own study, “24% of all active-duty servicemembers, or approximately 286,800 personnel, experienced food insecurity in 2020 and 2021.”

In my one tour as a commander, I dealt with a lot of issues I didn’t feel prepared for. I complied with orders to drum airmen out of the force for refusing the COVID vaccine. I adjudicated two sexual assault charges. I told my command that one of our brother airmen had tragically died. The Air Force gave me a lot of guidance and support for dealing with these problems. It gave me less advice about what to do when an airmen wanted to transition—but by the time that happened, it seemed relatively insignificant. They were alive, obeying orders, and staying in the force as we engaged in difficult intelligence missions around the world. My job was to make sure my unit was in tip-top shape at all times. What was I going to say?

I asked, “You sure you want to do this?” The answer was yes. I must admit, I had some reservations. For old men like me, transgenderism is a foreign concept. So I read up on it. However, what really convinced me to approve the airman’s request was the airman. Imagine how much courage it took to come into a commander’s office and request such a procedure. That’s courage. And we need more of that in the military.

In total, I commanded five transgender airmen. (All airmen, regardless of gender, are “airmen,” by the way.) Like all airmen, they had their strengths and their weaknesses—but if they met the standards for service, we were happy to have them. It was certainly awkward for some women seeing a pre-op female airman entering their bathroom. However, at the end of the day, despite a few quips, they were integrated into the team.

And with all the new initiatives, like women in combat roles, some of the old guard didn’t like having trans airmen in the unit. But, as long as their rumbles were kept at a minimum, I knew it didn’t matter. Change takes time. It took time for blacks, gays, and women, and undoubtedly it will take time for transgender service members.

It’s true that the trans airmen in my command took a disproportionate amount of my time compared to the non-trans airmen. But I’d much rather have spent more time keeping people in the force than drumming people out—or than telling their comrades in arms that they had died. Besides, good commanders take care of their people. I hope I took good care of mine. I tried to treat them with dignity and respect. While I never truly understood all the ins and outs of LGBTQ culture, I knew LGBTQ airmen were also proud to serve in the world’s greatest air force. And that’s really all that mattered.

It’s true that airmen who require gender-affirming care require resources that other airmen don’t. But at least in my experience, the reverse is also true. All service members cost money—to train, to feed, to house, to deploy. It wouldn’t shock me if the cost of replacing a trained, experienced trans service member exceeded the cost of care.

When I read the memo announcing the Trump administration’s new zero-trans policy, I couldn’t help but think of those airmen I commanded. It’s not like there’s a long line of people waiting for spots in the military to open up. We need everyone we can get. I thought of the airmen I commanded and the thousands of others like them who answered the country’s call when others wouldn’t—who stayed in service after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth left for civilian life, who stayed after I retired, who are still there now, doing the dirty, dangerous, unsung work that keeps the country safe.

Today, however, they and their families may be kicked out (though I have a feeling the courts may have something to say about this policy). Hopefully, if they are forcefully separated from service, it will be under honorable conditions, allowing them to access all the benefits they and their families deserve. Transgender service members might be slightly different than other service members in both good and bad ways. However, they deserved better than being summarily separated after being promised steady employment if they swore to uphold and defend the Constitution.

Maybe Hegseth, who served a couple tours and deployed overseas, will have enough respect for those still in uniform to at least give them a smooth reintegration into civilian live as he musters them out. I have more sincere doubts about the draft-dodging felon who gives him orders.

Thank you for your service indeed.

Share