The Department of the Navy is reportedly offering so-called “transgender” sailors and Marines the option to voluntarily separate by March 28, according to a memo obtained by Fox News.
If these service members do not take this offer, they risk being kicked out of the Navy and Marines altogether.
In a statement, acting secretary of the U.S. Navy, Terence Emmert, said that the Department of the Navy will recognize only male and female as the sexes.
“An individual's sex is immutable, unchanging during a person's life,” Emmert told the outlet.
Emmert added that those who "exhibit symptoms consistent with" gender dysphoria, where someone feels like they do not align with their sex, may leave the service by the deadline. If they do not, they may be removed.
"A history of cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery as treatment for gender dysphoria or in pursuit of a sex transition is disqualifying for applicants for military service, and incompatible with military service for military personnel," the memo reportedly said (via Fox News):
Transgender service members who don’t take the Navy up on its offer to voluntarily separate are not eligible for as many benefits post-separation. Those who voluntarily depart from the service will receive double the separation pay as those who are involuntarily removed, according to the Navy’s memo.
For example, the Pentagon said on Feb. 28 that an E-5, a petty officer first class in the Navy [sic], with 10 years of experience, would collect a total of $101,628 in voluntary separation pay, but only $50,814 if that service member were to opt for involuntary separation pay.
Those with less than six years of service, or more than 20 years of service, are not eligible for voluntary separation pay.
Shortly after the 2024 election, The Times reported that Trump was planning an executive order to boot transgenders from the military, as Townhall covered.
Predictably, left-wing service members flew off the handle about this, as Mia noted.