The news hit Drill Sergeant Kennedy Ochoa hard as he was preparing for a significant day. Like a sudden, unexpected blow that makes your stomach clench and harden, President Trump’s tweets announcing a ban on transgender individuals in the military sent shockwaves through the ranks. This policy reversal, citing “tremendous medical costs and disruption,” came as a crushing surprise to service members like Sergeant Ochoa, who had been serving openly and proudly under the Obama-era policy.
President Trump addressing US military personnel in Italy in May. The unexpected announcement felt like a hard knot in the stomach for many transgender service members.
For Sergeant Ochoa, the announcement felt like a physical blow. “My stomach dropped,” he recounted, a common physical manifestation of shock and anxiety, similar to the unsettling sensation of abdominal hardness and tension. For over a year, he had served authentically as a man, a testament to the inclusive policy championed by the previous administration. Former defence secretary Ash Carter had declared the change as “the right thing to do,” acknowledging the valuable contributions of “talented Americans who are serving with distinction.” This policy shift allowed transgender troops to openly embrace their identities, garnering support from commanders and peers alike.
Wednesday morning was supposed to be a moment of pride for Sergeant Ochoa. Donning his male regulation dress blues, a uniform he had rightfully worn for a year, he was on the cusp of graduating from a training course, a stepping stone to a well-deserved promotion in September. However, the President’s abrupt tweets shattered this anticipation, replacing it with a gut-wrenching uncertainty. “It was heartbreaking, my stomach dropped,” he confessed, the physical reaction mirroring the internal turmoil. Despite the emotional upheaval, Sergeant Ochoa displayed remarkable resilience, stating, “I had to just try and compartmentalise it so I could enjoy today.”
Sergeant Ochoa’s commitment to his country remains steadfast. In just five days, he is scheduled to re-enlist, a decision now overshadowed by doubt. “Now I don’t even know if I can do that,” he lamented, the future shrouded in ambiguity. “It just seems like chaos, so many unknowns.” This sudden shift in policy has left countless transgender service members in a state of limbo, their futures as uncertain as the cause of a sudden, unexplained hard stomach.
Sergeant Ken Ochoa, like many transgender troops, faces an uncertain future after the policy change, a feeling as unsettling as persistent abdominal discomfort.
The abrupt nature of the announcement caught not only service members off guard but also seemingly the military establishment itself. A Department of Defense (DOD) spokeswoman directed all inquiries to the White House, indicating that new guidance was forthcoming. The White House remained silent on requests for clarification. At a press conference, President Trump’s spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, vaguely stated that the administration would collaborate with the DOD to resolve the details, vaguely suggesting, “I would imagine the Department of Defense will be the lead on that.”
For some, the implications of the president’s tweets were already starkly defined. Riley Dosh, a West Point military academy graduate of May this year, had dedicated four years to rigorous training. While at the academy, Ms. Dosh bravely came out as transgender. Empowered by the Obama-era policy and supported by her commanders, she felt secure in her path. However, earlier in July, her hopes were dashed when she was abruptly informed that she would be denied commissioning as an officer alongside her peers.
Back in Austin, Texas, facing unemployment and lacking health insurance, Ms. Dosh awaited a review of this devastating decision. Now, the president’s ban seems to solidify her forced exit from the army. “I was already losing hope that I could commission, now I have absolutely no reason to have any,” she expressed, the finality palpable. “It’s a final nail in the coffin for my military career.” Despite this personal setback, she resolved to find a Plan B. However, her concern extended deeply to those still serving. “This is an absolute nightmare for my trans brothers and sisters who are serving. They now have absolutely no idea what their future is going to be.” The uncertainty and fear are as real and tangible as the discomfort of a hard stomach caused by stress and anxiety.
Riley Dosh’s aspirations to serve her country have been abruptly halted, a feeling of disappointment that can manifest physically as tension and discomfort.
While Mr. Trump’s tweets appeared to be sudden, they followed a series of legislative attacks on transgender service members by Congressional Republicans. Vicky Hartzler, a Republican representative for Missouri, had introduced an amendment to the near-$700 billion armed forces funding bill, seeking to prohibit military funds from covering transgender medical care. Although the amendment narrowly failed, Mr. Trump’s tweets echoed Ms. Hartzler’s rhetoric, citing concerns about the supposed financial burden of transgender medical care – a recurring point of contention among Republican lawmakers.
However, a comprehensive 2016 Rand Corporation study debunked these cost concerns. The study estimated that transgender health care costs for the approximately 2,450 active-duty transgender troops would increase the health budget by a mere $2.4 million to $8.4 million annually – a negligible 0.04% to 0.13% of the overall healthcare budget. In stark contrast, the Pentagon spends approximately $84 million annually on erectile dysfunction medication, according to a Military Times analysis – ten times the higher estimate for transgender-related costs. This financial argument, used to justify the ban, appears as hollow and unsubstantiated as unfounded health anxieties.
Many active-duty service members, like Sergeant Ochoa, are already receiving medical care related to their transitions. Sergeant Ochoa receives hormone therapy from his army physician and was anticipating a hysterectomy to mitigate the risk of cervical cancer associated with testosterone therapy. The future of this essential medical care became uncertain on Wednesday. Would he be able to continue his treatment through the army? Would he be forced to adhere to female dress regulations once more? Could he even continue his army career at all?
“The thought of going back to serving as someone I’m not… It’s just not something I could do and stay true to my character,” he asserted. The prospect of suppressing his true identity is as unbearable as ignoring persistent physical symptoms.
A military pride parade in San Diego last week. The ban casts a shadow over the progress and visibility achieved by LGBTQ+ service members.
LGBT advocacy groups were both blindsided and outraged by the president’s sudden declaration. “This is a despicable assault on transgender troops who have been serving openly for more than a year,” declared Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Centre, a think tank specializing in gender and sexuality in the military. “You can’t force people to go back in the closet, and you can’t force them to serve on the basis of a lie if they’ve already been honest about their identity. It’s unworkable for the troops and it’s unworkable for the military, and it will compromise military readiness.” The policy is deemed as illogical and harmful as ignoring a serious health concern.
Matthew Thorn, executive director of OutServe, cautioned that discharging thousands of active-duty troops would lead to chaos and resentment. “The most important thing for service members is that the person sitting on their right and their left has their back, particularly in a wartime situation,” he emphasized. “When you start stripping away those people, that’s what disrupts unit cohesion.” Such disruption can be as detrimental to military effectiveness as neglecting physical fitness.
For those actively serving, who came out as transgender with the assurance of their commanders and the Obama administration that discrimination was a thing of the past, the future is once again clouded by prejudice. The sense of betrayal and uncertainty can be as physically unsettling as the feeling of a hard, tense stomach when faced with stress.
For Sergeant Ochoa, the only course of action was to put on his dress blues, attend his graduation ceremony, and continue performing his duties. “The only thing I can do is carry on as best as I can, continue to be a professional and a drill sergeant to the best of my ability, and do that for as long as I have the opportunity,” he affirmed. In the face of adversity, resilience and professionalism remain paramount, much like seeking medical advice when experiencing persistent physical symptoms.
