President Trump is set to sign two executive orders impacting the US military. One will reinstate service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, while the other directs the Department of Defense to establish a policy regarding transgender service members based on readiness.
President Donald Trump is poised to sign two executive orders concerning the US military, according to a White House official who spoke with ABC News. The first order will focus on reinstating service members who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. These individuals will have their ranks restored and receive back pay. The second order directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a policy regarding transgender service members, emphasizing readiness as a key factor.
Notably, this order does not immediately ban transgender individuals from serving in the military but instructs the DOD to formulate a comprehensive policy. These executive orders follow the swearing-in of Pete Hegseth as the new Secretary of Defense on Saturday. Hegseth has openly expressed his intention to implement significant cultural shifts within the military, including the elimination of DEI practices and the removal of 'woke' service members. He confirmed to reporters upon arriving at the Pentagon on Monday that further executive orders are forthcoming. Trump's previous administration had implemented a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military in 2017. However, President Joe Biden revoked this ban in 2021. Shortly after assuming his second term last week, Trump issued an order overturning Biden's 2021 policy, allowing transgender members to serve. The anticipated order scheduled for Monday reportedly goes a step further, outlining new military standards regarding gender pronouns and asserting that mental and physical readiness necessitates the exclusion of transgender service members. Officials point to the recovery period following transition surgery, which can involve heavy narcotics and potentially hinder military readiness, as justification for this stance. They emphasize that the specific implementation details will be determined by the DOD.The Palm Center, an independent research institute specializing in military sexual minorities, estimated that there were approximately 14,000 transgender service members in the US military in 2018. A separate executive order aims to prohibit any 'discriminatory' policies related to DEI within the military. This follows the Trump administration's directive to place employees in federal diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility offices on paid administrative leave. The third executive order mandates the reinstatement of all active and reserve service members who were previously discharged for failing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These individuals will be reinstated at their former rank and receive back pay and benefits. However, the Pentagon had already rescinded the military's COVID-19 vaccination mandate, allowing these service members to rejoin after Biden signed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act requiring this change. CNN reported in October 2023 that only 43 out of over 8,000 US service members discharged for refusing vaccination sought to rejoin eight months after the mandate's repeal.
Military Trump Executive Orders Transgender Servicemen COVID-19 Vaccine Pete Hegseth Department Of Defense DEI Pentagon
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