The decision removes what had been a potential pathway for mid-career transgender personnel to retain some long-term benefits. Under the new policy, they must either accept a lump-sum separation payment — typically offered to junior troops — or be involuntarily removed from the service.
An Air Force spokesperson told The Associated Press that, while members in that service range could request an exception to policy, none were approved. Roughly a dozen troops had been “prematurely notified” they would be permitted to retire before the Air Force reversed that decision. The spokesperson spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal policy deliberations.
All transgender Air Force members are being separated under policies first initiated during the Trump administration.
A Monday memo, reviewed by the AP, stated that the decision was made “after careful consideration of the individual applications.”
The change follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s May ruling allowing the Pentagon to move ahead with its ban on transgender military service. Days later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined a process giving openly serving transgender troops the option to voluntarily leave with a one-time payout or face involuntary separation later.
At the time, a Pentagon official insisted the policy would treat those affected “with dignity and respect.”
However, in late July, several transgender airmen told Military.com that the process, which included reverting service records to their birth gender, felt “dehumanising” and “open cruelty.”