OPINION | Transgender Servicemembers In The Storm
Personnel serve with honor and distinction
In 2017, it was like a lightning bolt from a clear blue sky, completely unexpected. President Trump tweeted that, “the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military,” claiming that transgender service members were a burden and a disruption. Yet, somehow, through the shock and awe of the initial strike, we survived.
In 2025, it’s been more like a hurricane that’s been tracked since before it formed, with models constantly shifting about exactly where it will hit and how much damage it will do. We’ve watched the expected storm surge height and wondered if it would wash us away forever.
Now, the storm in the form of an Executive Order to ban transgender troops, has come ashore but it will still be a while until we can fully assess the impact of the language. I encourage you to read it for yourself:
Here’s what we know it directs:
Within 30 days the Secretary of Defense shall submit a report that summarizes the steps to implement the EO.
Within 60 days the Secretary of Defense shall update accession and retention standards.
Implementation of this executive order will dramatically affect me, people I love, and so many of the members of the military that I am honored to serve with.
But here’s what else we know:
We will continue to serve. We will continue to lead. We will continue to prove—every single day—that we meet the high standards of the military, that the arguments about our capability and readiness used to justify this policy are based on false premises, that we belong.
We will lace up our boots, put on our uniforms, and dedicate ourselves to the mission. Not out of defiance, but out of duty. Not to make a statement, but because we are professionals and patriots. The military is where we belong.
We’ve been through this before, and we’re still here.
The storm may rage, but we are the ones who stand in the breach as our nation’s guardians. We do not yield to the wind. We do not falter. And we will not disappear. There is too much at stake for us to do anything other than our duty in fulfillment of our oath. Today’s national security and tomorrow’s freedoms depend upon it.
Because in the end, we’ve already won. We’ve proven that we belong for nearly a decade. And we know that no policy, no ban, no executive order can erase the undeniable truth: transgender service members serve with honor and distinction. They are incredibly capable and meet or exceed every high standard the military has to offer.
Bree Fram is a colonel in the U.S. Space Force. She is currently stationed at the Pentagon and is one of the highest ranking transgender service members in the military. The views presented are hers and do not reflect the official guidance or position of the United States Government or the Department of Defense.
Please support our work…
Please subscribe…