Air Force tightens rules on transgender airmen; supporters say it prioritizes readiness: report
Fox News
The Air Force has centralized the separation board process under a single authority with Trump administration transgender policy changes affecting thousands of service members.
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According to the memo, once a board confirms a member meets the policy’s criteria, "the board must recommend separation."Hearings are closed and will not be recorded. Instead, the case file includes an abbreviated transcript prepared after the hearing. The policy narrows the board’s role to a single factual finding.
Supporters of stricter readiness standards argue the change avoids drawn-out cases and clarifies discipline. The AP notes that, in the past, boards sometimes retained members despite serious infractions, discretion critics said led to inconsistency.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made "restoring the warrior ethos" and tougher physical standards central to his tenure. In his Jan. 25 message to the force, he vowed to "restore the warrior ethos … rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence," then directed a rapid, department-wide review of fitness, body composition and grooming standards.
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