Cairo: Hani Kamal El-Din
According to The Times, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to issue an executive order that would result in the dismissal of all transgender service members from the U.S. Armed Forces, including those who have been serving for years. This move follows a similar decision he made during his first term in office in 2018, where he banned transgender individuals from joining the military but allowed those already serving to remain. The new executive order is expected to be stricter, as it will affect even those who have established careers within the military.
Impact on the U.S. Armed Forces
The Times reports that the new directive is a departure from Trump’s previous policy in 2018. That year, Trump prohibited transgender individuals from entering the U.S. military but permitted those already enlisted to continue their service. The new policy, however, aims to remove all transgender service members, even those who have served for many years. Approximately 15,000 transgender service members are expected to be discharged under this order, deemed unfit for service for medical reasons.
Challenges Faced by the Military
This decision comes at a time when the U.S. military is already struggling to meet recruitment targets. The new policy will add additional administrative burdens to the armed forces and is expected to affect the cohesion of military units. The military is currently facing challenges in meeting its recruitment goals, having fallen short of its 41,000 new recruits target last year. Moreover, some of those who will be affected by this decision hold high-ranking positions within the military, which will further complicate matters.
Numbers and Difficulties
According to data from 2019, there were about 14,700 transgender service members in the U.S. military. In 2021, approximately 2,200 service members were diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition in which a transgender person experiences discomfort or distress due to a mismatch between their gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. The U.S. military consists of around 1.3 million service members, but the exact number of transgender personnel is difficult to determine due to Pentagon privacy policies.
Financial and Administrative Impact
Rachel Branaman, Executive Director of the Modern Military Association of America, warned that the mass dismissal of over 15,000 transgender service members would place a heavy financial and administrative burden on the military. Branaman noted that this decision could lead to significant financial costs, including the loss of experienced service members with leadership qualities. It could take decades and billions of dollars to replace them. She also predicted that this policy would disrupt military operations and further exacerbate the military’s challenges in recruitment.
Right to Serve in the Military
It is important to note that transgender individuals were granted the right to serve in the U.S. military on June 30, 2016, under an executive order signed by then-President Barack Obama. This marked a significant shift in U.S. military policy, which had previously imposed strict restrictions on transgender individuals joining the armed forces. Trump’s second presidential term will begin at the end of January 2025, and this decision regarding transgender service members is expected to continue to shape the military’s policies.
This policy represents a critical moment for the U.S. military as it faces increasing challenges in recruiting new personnel. While the military is already struggling with recruitment, this new directive may further complicate the situation, raising concerns about the military’s readiness and operational capacity in the future.
