Trump signs several orders focused on reshaping US military

Trump also signed an executive order directing the military to formulate policies regarding the inclusion of transgender troops and update any guidance on the topic.

According to documents published by the White House, the president’s executive order on “prioritising military excellence and readiness”, external says “expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service”.

A White House fact sheet uses the term “trans-identifying” rather than transgender.

It is unclear how many transgender personnel are serving in the US military – although previous estimates from researchers have put the figure at between 9,000 and 15,000.

As part of the order, the use of pronouns will be forbidden across the defence department, and the order also says males will be explicitly forbidden from using facilities designated for females.

In 2021, then-President Joe Biden signed an order allowing transgender people to serve in the military and preventing discharges based on gender.

During most of Trump’s first term at the White House, transgender personnel were banned from joining or serving unless they received a waiver.

The Trump administration has claimed members who undergo transition surgery are often incapable of the physical demands of their jobs – potentially harming military readiness. The White House did not provide evidence of this claim and the BBC has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.

Sparta, an organisation which advocates on behalf of transgender military personnel, criticised the order, saying that transgender troops have served in combat zones and have “demonstrated their ability” to operate in military units.

“While some transgender troops do have surgery, the recovery time and cost is minimal, and is scheduled so as not to impact deployments or mission readiness,” said Sue Fulton, an army veteran and senior advisor to Sparta.

“The readiness and physical capabilities of transgender service members is not different from that of other service members,” Fulton added.

In 2017, the Palm Center – an independent research organisation – estimated that removing about 10,000 transgender troops from the military could cost approximately $960m.