- On Friday, The New York Times reported military review boards are defying orders from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discharge transgender service members, with Navy and Marine Corps boards frequently voting to retain them.
- President Donald Trump’s administration created three-person separation boards with narrow instructions mandating dismissal of the estimated 4,250 transgender personnel currently serving in the military.
- Navy and Marine Corps boards have voted to retain trans members in nine of 12 cases. Marine Staff Sgt. Damien Contreras saw board members cross out instructions regarding “a history of cross sex hormone therapy” and circle “remains qualified.”
- The Army and Air Force have overwhelmingly voted to discharge transgender service members, contrasting sharply with Navy and Marine retention rates. Board decisions are recommendations that politically appointed branch secretaries could reverse.
- Rank-and-File soldiers are prioritizing service records over political mandates. “You have war fighters looking at war fighters,” Contreras said, noting peers recognize colleagues who deployed and followed military rules.
THE ARTFUL DILETTANTE
Keeper of the Flame of the Enlightenment
