Transgender service members share experiences contrasting sharply with political portrayals. Sgt. First Class Julia Becraft, a combat veteran and transgender leader, recalls the acceptance she received from her soldiers at Fort Cavazos, Texas. Despite fears of backlash, soldiers quickly respected her leadership. Many trans troops report positive experiences, with supportive peers and leaders, and strong performance evaluations. However, they face an uncertain future with new policies threatening to discharge them based on past political shifts. Some, like Chief Warrant Officer Jo Ellis and Petty Officer Sam Rodriguez, express frustration and concern over losing their military careers despite their contributions.
Active-duty personnel and reserves. Veterans of combat and newcomers alike. Transgender service members assert that their military experiences differ significantly from how they are represented in political discourse.
Sgt. First Class Julia Becraft gathered a group of infantry soldiers at Fort Cavazos, Texas, introducing herself as their new squad leader. She emphasized her competence: with three deployments to Afghanistan, extensive combat experience, and a Bronze Star to her name, they were in capable hands.
Moreover, she revealed that she was transgender.
This announcement was something she had anticipated since transitioning a year prior. How would the soldiers respond? Would they accept a trans woman in a leadership role?
For a brief moment, silence filled the room. Soon, however, nods of acceptance emerged. The soldiers began to introduce themselves and share snippets of their lives.
Then, they proceeded to morning physical training, just like any other squad within their battalion.
“Initially, it was clear that some were taken aback,” Sergeant Becraft reflected earlier this year. “But they recognized my sincerity and appreciated my experience. My being transgender turned out to be a minor detail.”
Sergeant Becraft finds the Trump administration’s portrayal of transgender service members misrepresentative. The administration claims, albeit without supportive evidence, that trans soldiers impose excessive healthcare costs and threaten military efficacy. An executive order issued last month stated that being transgender “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle.” Just recently, the Defense Department circulated a memo indicating that currently serving trans troops would face discharge.
“It is the policy of the United States government to establish high standards for service-member readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity and integrity,” stated the memo elucidating the policy.
According to the policy, essential personnel may apply for a waiver if they can demonstrate “compelling government interest in retaining the service member that directly supports warfighting capabilities.”
Certain trans military members are challenging this policy in court.
Trans troops assert that their experiences while in uniform do not align with the negative portrayals crafted by their critics. In interviews conducted by The New York Times, numerous individuals conveyed that despite the alarming descriptions, being transgender in the military is generally unremarkable.
The service members interviewed — including three pilots, an explosives expert, a special operations officer, a nuclear reactor supervisor, a flight nurse, and a missile battery commander — reported facing some institutional challenges and the occasional derogatory comment. However, they predominantly expressed receiving respect. Their leaders have been supportive, peers have embraced them, and they have attained favorable performance evaluations and promotions.
Officers and non-trans soldiers conveyed in interviews that they have not witnessed any adverse effects stemming from the presence of trans service members.
Nonetheless, the journey of coming out was no easy feat. Many trans troops indicated they struggled with accepting a reality they had suppressed for years. For Sergeant Becraft, her marriage didn’t endure the transition. However, when she informed the Army of her identity, her brigade provided her with a temporary desk position that offered a flexible schedule as she began her transition and underwent therapy. A year later, she resumed her role leading soldiers.
“If anything, I’ve become a better leader since transitioning,” Sergeant Becraft noted prior to the announcement of the ban. “I’m more at ease. I no longer have to conceal anything. Perhaps I possess greater insight now, and I believe my soldiers respond positively to that.”
Before the announcement to discharge all trans soldiers was made, she had aspirations of being promoted to platoon sergeant in the upcoming spring.
Many trans service members, like millions of others across America, viewed the military as a patriotic avenue for opportunity — one that is increasingly accessible to a diverse array of individuals.
However, the policy regarding trans military service has been a contentious issue reflecting competing visions of the military for the past decade. In 2016, six years after signing a law enabling gay service members to serve openly, President Barack Obama lifted the ban on transgender service. The following year, President Donald J. Trump implemented a new ban, which President Joseph R. Biden Jr. overturned in 2021.
Under the Biden administration, thousands of trans service members who had long been in uniform publicly came out.
Even with this progress, trans troops still represent only a minor fraction of the armed forces. The military claims it doesn’t maintain records on this demographic, but external estimates suggest they make up less than 1 percent of the two million personnel in uniform.
Many joined the military without yet recognizing their transgender identity.
Chief Warrant Officer Jo Ellis enlisted in the Army National Guard as a helicopter mechanic right after high school in 2009. She served in combat as a door gunner, eventually becoming a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. While enduring the military’s grueling survival training in 2021, where pilots face simulated torture, sleep deprivation, and isolation, she suddenly understood her trans identity.
“I was raised in a conservative environment, going to church twice a week and being home-schooled,” Ms. Ellis recounted. “My life was shadowed by a longing to be a woman, but I never comprehended why. Then, in that moment of extreme exhaustion, my defenses crumbled, and it hit me hard.”
Fearing that coming out would jeopardize her career, she concealed her true feelings for two years.
“There may have been trans individuals serving in the Army elsewhere, but certainly not in my unit,” she remarked. “We have a very blue-collar, traditional male-dominated culture.”
“I anticipated the worst, but I was mistaken,” she reflected. “Upon coming out, my entire unit embraced me.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has labeled trans service members as “weird” and “a distraction.” However, several military leaders who have commanded units with trans individuals expressed a contrasting viewpoint.
“They’ve attempted to sensationalize this issue, akin to previous attempts with the integration of women or African Americans, but it’s essentially a non-issue,” said Capt. Justin Long, a retired Navy officer with more than 20 years of service. “I’ve had 15 trans sailors under my command, and I never encountered any problems. The other sailors treat them as they would treat anyone else. Their primary concern is, Will you fulfill your duties?”
In recent years, the military has approached gender-affirming medical care similarly to how it treats other medical issues, such as fractures or cancer. To access treatment, there must be a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and coordination with commanders to prevent disruptions during deployments or critical training.
“We do not treat them differently, nor should we,” Captain Long affirmed.
He argued that the decision to discharge all trans service members disregards the guidance of senior leaders and “contradicts scientific understanding and reality.”
The Trump administration also asserted that the expense of gender-affirming care is excessively high, although no specific figures were provided.
The Defense Department maintains that it does not monitor the costs associated with transition care. Studies in civilian healthcare systems indicate that expenses can vary widely from person to person. Some may require hormone medications that are comparable in cost to contraceptives, while others might undergo surgical treatments that could exceed $100,000. In a healthcare system as expansive as the U.S. military’s, research suggests that the overall expense is minimal.
However, another cost often overlooked is highlighted by Cmdr. Emily Shilling, an accomplished Navy fighter pilot who has completed 60 combat missions: the expense incurred from losing highly trained service members.
Commander Shilling serves as the president of SPARTA Pride, an advocacy group for trans service members. She emphasized that many trans troops resemble herself: seasoned personnel who would be challenging and costly to replace.
According to Commander Shilling, the Navy invested millions in her training and flight hours, in addition to funding her graduate education to prepare her for advanced roles. She currently oversees a multibillion-dollar carrier-launched drone program.
“We’re an exceptionally valuable resource that should not be discarded,” Commander Shilling stated. “Why would you choose to eliminate someone in whom you have invested so much?”
The new policy explicitly indicates that even individuals who transitioned years prior, who are unlikely to incur additional costs or time losses for the military, will be barred from service.
Paulo Bautista transitioned over a decade before joining the Navy. His surgery was completed, his hormone levels balanced, and the emotional upheaval from the process had long settled into a confidence.
His only gender-related medical need is a weekly testosterone injection. The military administers the same treatments to about 5,000 non-trans male personnel with low testosterone levels.
“In reality, most individuals wouldn’t even guess that I’m trans unless I disclose it,” he remarked.
During the initial Trump administration, trans service members who had begun their transition while serving were permitted to continue. Many who came out under the previous regulations are astonished to find they are now facing expulsion.
Petty Officer Second Class Sam Rodriguez joined the Navy as a diesel mechanic and later served as a military prison guard. While employed at the prison, Petty Officer Rodriguez, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, got married, had two children, and attended night classes for a master’s degree. Last fall, the Navy selected them for commissioning as an officer and training as a clinical social worker.
However, the military now deems them unfit for service, subjecting them to mandatory discharge. Yet, prior to the announcement of the new policy, they viewed their identity as a benefit to the Navy.
“Given that I have lived experiences from both gender perspectives, as well as from both enlisted and officer roles, I possess invaluable insight that will enable me to connect with diverse individuals,” they shared. “I enlisted in the Navy to contribute to the greater good, and providing quality healthcare to those who serve is part of that mission.”
Petty Officer Rodriguez revealed that fitting into a military system that categorizes and organizes personnel strictly by two genders has its challenges. Faced with a form, they reluctantly marked “male.”
“It can often feel as though you are invisible,” Petty Officer Rodriguez expressed. “Yet, I understand that we all must make sacrifices, and I was willing to make that to continue serving.”
Now, they ponder whether those sacrifices were in vain, feeling punished for adhering to regulations.
As Petty Officer Rodriguez contemplated their impending discharge, they wondered, “What will it mean for my family?”