There are indications U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to sack 15,000 transgender officers from the military.
Mr Trump would use an executive order to remove all the transgender, according to The Times’ military sources.
The source revealed that the order could come on his first day back in the White House on January 20, 2025.
The transgender would be medically discharged, which would determine that they were not fit, The Times quoted the source.
Mr Trump, 78, has railed against ‘woke’ practices in the military, saying that some high-ranking officers are often more interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion than planning to fight.
The bank is expected to be wider ranging than a similar order made during his first term in office, when Mr Trump prevented transgender people from joining the armed forces
Although he allowed those already serving to keep their jobs.
Outgoing President Joe Biden rescinded the order, but this time, even those with decades of service will be removed from their posts, according to sources.
Rachel Branaman, the executive director of the Modern Military Association of America, said that if a trans ban were implemented from day one of Mr Trump’s administration, it would undermine the military’s readiness.
Ms Branaman, whose organisation campaigns on behalf of LGBTQ+ military personnel and veterans, also noted that it would create an even greater recruitment and retention crisis, not to mention signalling vulnerability to America’s adversaries.
“Abruptly discharging 15,000-plus service members, especially given that the military’s recruiting targets fell short by 41,000 recruits last year, adds administrative burdens to warfighting units, harms unit cohesion, and aggravates critical skill gaps.
“There would be a significant financial cost, as well as a loss of experience and leadership that will take possibly 20 years and billions of dollars to replace,” she added.
