A group of transgender veterans is taking the Air Force to court after being denied long-promised retirement benefits, a result of the Trump administration’s policy barring transgender troops from military service.
The lawsuit, filed on November 10, includes more than a dozen plaintiffs, many of whom served up to 18 years. These veterans now say the Air Force stranded them after initially agreeing to provide their hard-earned pensions, according to USA Today.
Their ordeal began with President Donald Trump’s executive order from earlier this year, which instructed the Pentagon to expel all transgender service members. The order led to a significant number of forced exits across military branches, while many faced abrupt and uncertain futures.
According to Pentagon guidance, those who opted for voluntary resignation would be eligible for separation pay. However, others could be expelled if identified via medical record checks, often with minimal warning.
Trans troops forcibly removed in May were told by the Air Force that, after serving 15 to 18 years, they could apply for early retirement. The plaintiffs did so, and, in June, received official confirmation of their retirement status.
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Logan Ireland stands at the forefront of the lawsuit. “The military, the Air Force, is seeing my service as meaningless,” said Ireland, a 37-year-old with 15 years of service. He had made plans to lead a different life as he started adjusting his finances and applying to new jobs. But then, everything changed.
On August 4, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Brian Scarlett issued a memo, “After careful consideration, I am disapproving” of all pending retirement benefit applications from expelled transgender airmen.
Ireland called this sudden reversal both bewildering and devastating. “I want to know why,” he said. “Why is my retirement being taken from me?” Despite being surrounded by a supportive command team, he says top officials still haven’t explained the decision or answered his questions.
For its part, the Air Force has insisted that the affected individuals were still eligible for voluntary separation pay, but has declined to elaborate, citing ongoing litigation. Statement from the branch offered no clarity to those left blindsided by the policy shift.
🚨NEW: Air Force Master Sergeant Logan Ireland is suing the Trump Administration to reinstate pensions for transgender service members who were forced out of the military.
RETWEET if you stand with Master Sgt. Ireland against Trump this Veterans Day! pic.twitter.com/C41KvpILRY
— Protect Kamala Harris ✊ (@DisavowTrump20) November 11, 2025
Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights and the lead attorney representing the group, said, “Ordinarily, when the military, in this case the Air Force, issues retirement orders, those are sacrosanct. It is unheard of for such an order to be rescinded, much less with no explanation and no justification.” Minter further noted the massive financial stakes as some veterans could lose out on millions of dollars and will also forfeit military healthcare for themselves and their families.
Minter pointed out that Air Force policy allows revoking retirement only in extreme scenarios such as fraud or serious error. No such reasons were provided here. “The military only rescinds retirement pay in extremely rare circumstances,” Minter mentioned, showing how shocking this sudden reversal has been for all involved.
The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration in May, allowing the transgender military ban to go into effect nationwide. With the lawsuit filed and the plaintiffs fighting for what is rightfully theirs, it remains to be seen whether the plaintiffs can prevail against the government’s policy.
