US Air Force Blocks Early Retirement Benefits for Transgender Troops

The U.S. Air Force is disallowing early retirement for transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years, effectively separating them without pension benefits, according to an Aug. 4 internal memo reviewed by Reuters. The directive—signed by Brian Scarlett, who is performing the duties of assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs—overrides a May policy that had let airmen seek retirement before the standard 20-year mark. Previously approved applications have been rescinded, leaving affected personnel eligible only for one-time separation payments that advocates say could cost each hundreds of thousands of dollars in lifetime income. The decision marks a further step in the Trump administration’s effort to remove transgender personnel from the U.S. military, a campaign that gained momentum after a Supreme Court ruling in May cleared the Pentagon to enforce a broader ban. The Defense Department counts about 4,240 transgender troops on active duty and in the National Guard, though advocacy groups say the true figure is higher.