Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Army is set to alter the records of transgender soldiers to reflect only their sex assigned at birth, according to internal guidance obtained by Reuters. This move is part of a series of steps the Army will take to enforce the Trump administration’s ban on transgender service members.
A 14-page internal memo instructs commanders to “take immediate measures to update personnel records and administrative systems to reflect biological sex for all individuals.” The memo echoes the Pentagon’s assertion, outlined in a February 26 document, that a person’s sex is “unchanging during a person’s life.”
This directive follows the Supreme Court’s recent decision, which cleared the way for the Pentagon to implement the ban on transgender service, and reveals the administration’s plan to handle the thousands of transgender troops currently serving.
Reuters previously reported on May 8 that the Pentagon intends to begin discharging transgender troops who do not voluntarily leave the service by June 6. On May 12, the news agency detailed plans to halt gender-affirming healthcare for transgender service members.
The Army has not yet issued an official comment on the matter.
The leaked Army memo outlines additional measures to revert soldiers’ records to their birth sex, which will be implemented by the Army’s Human Resources Command. The document also mandates that pronoun usage “must reflect their biological sex” and that salutations, such as “sir” or “ma’am,” should align with the soldier’s assigned sex at birth.
Furthermore, access to “intimate spaces” will be determined by an individual’s biological sex. “Commanders will ensure all such shared intimate spaces will be clearly designated for either male, female, or family use,” the memo states.
Officials estimate that there are approximately 4,240 active-duty and National Guard transgender troops currently serving. Transgender rights advocates have suggested higher figures.
Jennifer Levi, a senior director at the pro-LGBTQ legal group GLAD Law, criticized the directives as “vindictive and aggressive” and argued that their chaotic implementation “undoubtedly is harming military readiness.”
President Trump signed an executive order in January, upon his return to office, reversing a policy implemented under his predecessor, Joe Biden, that allowed transgender troops to serve openly.
A Gallup poll published in February indicated that 58% of Americans support allowing openly transgender individuals to serve in the military, although this figure represents a decline from 71% in 2019.
The Trump administration’s decision has been embraced by figures like former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who has advocated for conservative stances on culture war issues, including the elimination of diversity initiatives at the Pentagon.
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