WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will pause the acceptance of transgender recruits into the military under a memo issued this week by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Under the newly issued rules, the military is instructed to pause the accession “for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria,” effective immediately. The memo has also paused all medical procedures “associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition” for any military service members.
The memo comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month ordering the Pentagon to review its policies regarding transgender troops, setting the stage for a possible ban. Trump had previously tried to ban transgender troops during his first term, but that effort was thwarted by yearslong court battles — and former President Joe Biden overturned those orders shortly after he took office.
Hegseth’s guidance appears to fall in line with Trump’s order, as the memo justifies the newly issued pause as ensuring “lethality, readiness, and warfighting capability.”
“The Department must ensure it is building ‘Our Force’ without subgroups defined by anything other than ability or mission adherence,” the memo states. “Efforts to split our troops along lines of identity weaken our Force and make us vulnerable. Such efforts must not be tolerated or accommodated.”
The memo cites Trump’s executive order as additional justification, which states that expressing a “false ‘gender identity’” different than the one an individual is born with “cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for Military Service.”
It’s not yet clear whether transgender troops who have already been admitted to the military will be removed. However, the memo states that those currently serving “will be treated with dignity and respect.”
Questions about their continued service has been delegated to the under secretary of defense.