
Transgender Navy members face March 28 deadline for voluntary separation
By Ryan Robertson (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)
- Transgender U.S. service members in the Navy have until March 28 to voluntarily step down before they’re forced to do so. The Navy says its policy is in line with the U.S. Department of Defense’s new rule, stating that service members who choose to depart before the deadline will be eligible for separation pay, which is twice as much as they’d receive if discharged.
- The order comes down from President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order on transgender individuals in the military.
- Some transgender military personnel have served for more than a decade, and separation payments could be more than $100,000 even before being doubled, and bonuses could reach up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Full Story
Transgender U.S. service members in the Navy have until March 28 to voluntarily leave before being forced to do so by new military policy under the Trump administration.
Media Landscape
This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 0% of the coverage is from right leaning media. Learn moreBias Summary
- A federal judge, Ana Reyes, expressed skepticism regarding the Pentagon's policy on transgender service members, questioning its scientific basis and implications for military readiness and unit cohesion.
- Judge Reyes plans to rule on the policy next week, after thoroughly questioning a Department of Justice attorney defending the policy.
- The plaintiffs argue that the Department of Defense's policy violates the Fifth Amendment by causing harm to transgender soldiers and disrupting unit cohesion.
- A federal judge, Ana Reyes, hopes to rule next week on blocking President Donald Trump's order banning transgender people from the military.
- Reyes questioned the motives behind the new Defense Department policy that disqualifies individuals with gender dysphoria from military service.
- Reyes called the policy a "Don't Tell" policy and expressed concern about the rights of transgender troops.
- The judge acknowledged that her decision may be appealed and stated the Defense Department spends $5.2 million annually on medical care for gender dysphoria.
- No summary available because of a lack of coverage.
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How much are service members eligible for?
The Navy says its policy is in line with the U.S. Department of Defense’s new rule, saying service members who choose to depart before the deadline will be eligible for separation pay, which is twice as much as they would get if they are later discharged.

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Those who decide to take voluntary separation by the deadline will get double the normal involuntary separation, which is typically 10% of service members base pay multiplied by years of service.
Some transgender military personnel have served for more than a decade, and separation payments could be more than $100,000, even before being doubled. Bonuses could reach up to hundreds of thousands of dollars as well.
Why are they offering this option?
Since the Pentagon revealed its new policy, each of the armed service departments has released its own memo on how they will follow through on the transgender ban and offer voluntary separation.
The Army and Air Force have given transgender members until March 28 to choose voluntary separation.
Could the ban be put on hold?
A pair of lawsuits against the policy, however, are threatening to put the ban on hold. A federal judge said she expects to make a ruling soon on whether to block the ban from taking effect while the lawsuits play out in court.
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What does the move stem from?
The DOD is working to remove transgender people from the military because of an executive order by President Donald Trump, which claims being transgender isn’t “consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”
Military members can get a waiver, but they are reportedly so strict that advocates argue they’re impossible to fulfill.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
TRANSGENDER U-S SERVICE MEMBERS IN THE NAVY HAVE UNTIL MARCH 28TH TO VOLUNTARILY LEAVE BEFORE BEING FORCED TO DO SO.
THE NAVY SAYS ITS POLICY IS IN LINE WITH THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT’S NEW RULE SAYING SERVICE MEMBERS WHO CHOOSE TO DEPART BEFORE THE DEADLINE WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR SEPARATION PAY WHICH IS TWICE AS MUCH AS THEY WOULD GET IF THEY ARE LATER DISCHARGED.
THOSE WHO DECIDE TO TAKE VOLUNTARY SEPARATION BY THE DEADLINE WILL GET DOUBLE THE NORMAL INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION, WHICH IS TYPICALLY 10 PERCENT OF SERVICE MEMBERS ANNUAL BASE PAY MULTIPLED BY YEARS OF SERVICE.
SOME TRANSGENDER MILITARY PERSONNEL HAVE SERVED MORE THAN DECADE AND SEPARATION PAYMENTS COULD BE MORE THAN 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS EVEN BEFORE BEING DOUBLED AND BONUSES COULD REACH UP TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
SINCE THE PENTAGON REVEALED ITS NEW POLICY, EACH OF THE ARMED SERVICE DEPARTMENTS RELEASED THEIR OWN MEMOS ON HOW THEY WILL FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE TRANSGENDER BAN AND OFFER VOLUNTARY SEPARATION.
THE ARMY AND AIR FORCE GIVE TRANSGENDER MEMBERS UNTIL MARCH 26TH TO CHOOSE VOLUNTARY SEPARATION.
A PAIR OF LAWSUITS AGAINST THE POLICY, HOWEVER, ARE THREATENING TO PUT THE BAN ON HOLD.
A FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS SHE EXPECTS TO MAKE A RULING SOON ON WHETHER TO BLOCK THE BAN FROM TAKING EFFECT WHILE THE LAWSUIT PLAYS OUT.
THE D-O-D IS WORKING TO REMOVE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE FROM THE MILITARY BECAUSE OF AN EXECUTIVE ORDER BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WHICH CLAIMS BEING TRANSGENDER ISN’T “CONSISTENT WITH THE HUMILITY AND SELFLESSNESS REQUIRED OF A SERVICE MEMBER”
MILITARY MEMBERS CAN GET A WAIVER BUT THEY’RE SO STRICT ADVOCATES ARGUE THEY’RE IMPOSSIBLE TO FULFILL.
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Media Landscape
This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 0% of the coverage is from right leaning media. Learn moreBias Summary
- A federal judge, Ana Reyes, expressed skepticism regarding the Pentagon's policy on transgender service members, questioning its scientific basis and implications for military readiness and unit cohesion.
- Judge Reyes plans to rule on the policy next week, after thoroughly questioning a Department of Justice attorney defending the policy.
- The plaintiffs argue that the Department of Defense's policy violates the Fifth Amendment by causing harm to transgender soldiers and disrupting unit cohesion.
- A federal judge, Ana Reyes, hopes to rule next week on blocking President Donald Trump's order banning transgender people from the military.
- Reyes questioned the motives behind the new Defense Department policy that disqualifies individuals with gender dysphoria from military service.
- Reyes called the policy a "Don't Tell" policy and expressed concern about the rights of transgender troops.
- The judge acknowledged that her decision may be appealed and stated the Defense Department spends $5.2 million annually on medical care for gender dysphoria.
- No summary available because of a lack of coverage.
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Right
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