cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/34111067

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits. One Air Force sergeant said he was “betrayed and devastated” by the move.

The move means that transgender service members will now be faced with the choice of either taking a lump-sum separation payment offered to junior troops or be removed from the service.

An Air Force spokesperson told The Associated Press that “although service members with 15 to 18 years of honorable service were permitted to apply for an exception to policy, none of the exceptions to policy were approved.” About a dozen service members had been “prematurely notified” that they would be able to retire before that decision was reversed, according to the spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Air Force policy.

A memo issued Monday announcing the new policy, which was reviewed by the AP, said that the choice to deny retirement benefits was made “after careful consideration of the individual applications.”

All transgender members of the Air Force are being separated from the service under the Trump administration’s policies.

    • Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      6 days ago

      At least a handful of troops (especially ones with more years of service) are probably alarmed at how easily that retirement can now be taken away, and it will hopefully hit recruitment a bit.

    • Horse {they/them}@lemmygrad.ml
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      6 days ago

      that’s less than 0.5% of the war criminals troops in the chair force
      and they aren’t much of a threat without planes or multi-million dollar attack drones

      • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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        6 days ago

        It’s not like they’re all just couch potatoes that know how to operate drones with PS2 controllers. They’re still technically troops. They’re all trained in how to operate firearms and communications equipment, follow chain of command, perform first aid, etc.

        But you’re right, not enough to be a threat.

        But do you think trans troops will be the only troops that will be betrayed? The clock is ticking on all the immigrants that enlisted, they aren’t going to be welcome in the empire’s army for much longer. They’ll inevitably go after other queer troops at some point as well to purge the military of “woke ideology” or whatever bullshit, and unofficially start drumming other minorities out too.

        They’ll need reeducation, of course, but they’ll have every motive to unlearn their nationalism.