The US Air Force is reporting kicking out long-serving trans troops without providing them with retirement benefits, a leaked memo suggests.

Trans and non-binary service members with between 15 and 18 years of military service will reportedly be told to quit or be forced out with no retirement benefits typically afforded to long-serving members.

It comes as the US military has begun the process of removing trans troops from the armed forces following a January executive order from US president Donald Trump.

According to a leaked memo seen by Reuters, assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs Brian Scarlett said an exception to the US Air Force’s early retirement scheme over gender dysphoria would not apply to a bracket of trans troops.

Instead, the long-serving members will have to choose between a lump-sum separation payment, usually given to junior troops, or be forcibly discharged from the military, which could result in a dishonourable discharge that would rescind further benefits afforded to veterans.

Approximately “a dozen” trans service members with 15-18 years of experience were previously told they could request an early retirement in May, according to The Guardian.

They have since seen their approvals rescinded through the newly leaked memo, with the US Air Force saying they were “prematurely approved.”

Although service members with 15-18 years of honorable service were permitted to apply for an exception to policy, none of the exceptions to policy were approved,” a spokesperson said. “In lieu of [the memo], members are eligible for voluntary separation, with eligibility for voluntary separation pay at twice the amount of involuntary separation pay.”

It noted that trans troops with 18-20 years of service were still eligible for early retirement. Typical military service retirement occurs after 20 years.

“It’s cruelty for cruelty’s sake”

The decision was branded “indefensible” by the Human Rights Campaign’s chief of staff, Jay Brown, saying in a statement to PinkNews that the Trump administration was tragically “stripping [trans troops] of the retirement benefits they’ve earned after years of honourable service.”

“This has nothing to do with military readiness, it’s cruelty for cruelty’s sake,” Brown continued.

Active-duty personnel were told in a memo from defence secretary Pete Hegseth that they had until 6 June to voluntarily leave or be forcibly discharged, while reserve and National Guard members were given until 7 July.

Court filings made public in March suggest that the Trump administration is struggling to justify claims that trans troops should be disqualified from service on the grounds of “honesty, humility and integrity”.

Government lawyers attempted to argue that trans troops apply financial pressures on the military due to gender-affirming care, which has cost the Pentagon just $52 million (£37.7 million) over a decade.

The Pentagon’s budget for 2026 alone has been reported to be at least $961.6 billion (close to £698 billion).

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