August 8, 2025
The move from the U.S. Air Force comes as the Trump administration cracks down on transgender service members.
U.S. Air Force members who identify as transgender will not be eligible for early retirement benefits. The U.S Air Force announced that it would deny all transgender service members who have served enough years to retire early.
According to MyArmyBenefits, service members who entered the military on or after Aug. 1, 1986, are eligible for early retirement at the 15-year mark under Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA). The program allows for retirement with a minimum of 15 years of active duty service but requires approval from the Secretary of each branch.
However, transgender U.S. Air Force service members will not be eligible for TERA benefits, even those who served between 15 and 18 years under both parties. According to the Associated Press, the announcement means that transgender service members will only have a choice of either taking a lump-sum separation payment offered to junior troops or being removed from service.
An Air Force spokesperson told the outlet, “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.”
Trump Administration Cracks Down on Transgender Service Members
The move from the U.S. Air Force comes as the Trump administration cracks down on transgender service members. On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed EO 14183 titled, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.” The executive order directed the Department of Defense (DoD) to adopt policies that would prohibit transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people from serving in the military.
From there, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a memo on Feb. 7 that immediately paused all gender-affirming medical procedures for service members. Then, on Feb. 26, the DoD issued the most significant blow by declaring that transgender and nonbinary individuals will no longer be eligible to join the military and directed all trans people currently serving to be separated from service.
Two federal courts previously issued nationwide orders to block the implementation of this ban. Then, on May 6, the Supreme Court lifted those orders, giving the DoD the right to remove trans people, willing and ready to serve the United States, from military service.
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