Seventeen transgender members of the U.S. Air Force have filed a federal lawsuit against the government, claiming the military unlawfully stripped them of early retirement pensions and benefits. The suit, submitted Monday, underscores ongoing legal battles surrounding policies that target transgender troops.
Early Retirement Revoked
The lawsuit comes months after the Air Force confirmed that service members with 15 to 18 years of service would no longer have the option to retire early. Instead, they would be separated without retirement pay or health insurance benefits. Advocacy groups say the decision could cost some service members up to $2 million over their lifetimes.
Michael Haley, a staff attorney with GLAD Law, one of the groups assisting in the case, described the revocation as part of “a broader pattern of cruelty toward transgender personnel.” He noted that several plaintiffs had already received orders approving their retirements and some had begun the separation process.
Voices from the Front Lines
Logan Ireland, a master sergeant with 15 years of service including a deployment to Afghanistan, joined the lawsuit after being denied early retirement. “The military taught me to lead and fight, not retreat,” Ireland told The Associated Press. “Stripping away my retirement sends the message that those values only apply on the battlefield, not when a service member needs them most.”
“These are folks who are moving on with their lives, have been given the go-ahead, and then have that taken away,” Haley said.
The Pentagon declined immediate comment, citing its standard policy of not discussing ongoing litigation.
A Pattern of Targeting Transgender Troops
The lawsuit is the latest challenge to policies initiated under former President Donald Trump aimed at limiting the service of transgender troops. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the ban on transgender service members to be enforced while legal cases proceed.
Officials including Trump and former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued that rolling back diversity and inclusion initiatives was necessary to make the military more “lethal.” Pentagon data shows that 4,240 service members have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, which is used as a marker for being transgender.
The Air Force has implemented policies that go further than merely separating troops. In addition to revoking retirement benefits, it moved in August to prevent transgender service members from petitioning boards of their peers for the right to continue serving, a policy the Pentagon extended to all branches less than two weeks ago.
As the case moves forward, it highlights the tension between military policy, civil rights, and the ongoing fight for recognition and equality for transgender service members.
