The U.S. military added gender dysphoria screening to its annual health assessments. The updated self-assessment now includes questions related to gender dysphoria and related medical history. Pentagon officials made the move following a recent Supreme Court decision saying the Trump administration could enforce its ban on transgender service members.
What does the policy require?
The policy calls for routine screenings to identify cases of gender dysphoria during annual health assessments, which may lead to discharge from the military. Leaders who become aware of a service member’s diagnosis, history or symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria must initiate an individualized medical record review to determine compliance with “medical readiness.”
During a Pentagon briefing, a senior defense official said the department is “confident and comfortable with commanders implementing the policy.” However, critics have warned that the vague language could lead to abuse or misidentification.
Who will be affected — and when?
The Pentagon estimated roughly 4,200 service members have gender dysphoria, but previous outside assessments suggest the actual figure could be much higher.
The Defense Department previously estimated that 1,000 service members have self-reported as having gender dysphoria. Active-duty service members have until June 6 to opt for voluntary separation. Members of the National Guard and Reserves have until July 7.
After those deadlines, the Department of Defense may involuntarily discharge troops, who would receive reduced separation benefits unless granted a waiver.
How is the separation process structured?
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Troops separating voluntarily under the gender dysphoria policy may receive up to twice the payout of those discharged involuntarily, depending on rank and service time.
Those who voluntarily separate may receive significantly more pay.
“So, for involuntary category separation, an E-5 with 10 years of service, we estimate that the involuntary separation payment would be just under $51,000,” a Defense official said.
“For an O-3 with seven years in service, that involuntary separation pay would be approximately $62,000. The way the voluntary separation pay is calculated is a multiple of two from the involuntary, so that E-5 with 10 years would be approximately $101,000, and the O-3 with seven years in service would be approximately $125,000.”
Pentagon officials said they would grant an honorable discharge to self-identified individuals as long as no unrelated disciplinary issues exist.
What legal and political developments enabled this?
The Trump administration reinstated the transgender troop ban by executive order in January, stating that gender dysphoria is “inconsistent” with military readiness. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moved to enforce the order, but legal challenges stalled implementation until earlier this month, when the Supreme Court allowed the policy to proceed. The Court’s three liberal justices dissented.
