The U.S. military is undergoing a major shift under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, marking the end of policies that allowed transgender individuals to serve openly. In alignment with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14183, the Department of Defense has revoked previous policies that accommodated gender transitions and identity-based military regulations. The new directive, titled Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness, returns the military to a standard where service members must meet strict mental and physical requirements based on biological sex.

Following this shift, the U.S. Army confirmed on X that transgender individuals will no longer be allowed to join the military. Additionally, all scheduled or planned medical procedures related to gender transition for service members have been halted, and promotions for those with a history of gender dysphoria are paused. The move, which applies to all branches of the military, was enacted to reinforce the Pentagon’s renewed focus on merit, mission effectiveness, and unit cohesion.

The policy reverses Executive Order 14004, issued under the Biden administration, which had reinstated transgender military service. Hegseth’s order emphasizes that the military will no longer recognize pronouns, sleeping arrangements, or facilities based on gender identity, ensuring that all policies align with biological sex. Military medical standards will also be revised to exclude individuals who do not conform to the physical and psychological requirements necessary for service.

Trump’s Executive Order: Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness

President Trump’s Executive Order 14183, Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness, issued on January 27, 2025, lays out a clear framework for returning the military to a mission-first approach. Key provisions include:

• Restoring Military Standards: The order mandates that the military maintain strict physical and mental health requirements, ensuring that only those who meet the highest standards can serve.
• Prohibiting Gender Identity Policies: The military must align all policies, including pronoun usage, shared sleeping quarters, and bathroom facilities, with biological sex rather than gender identity.
• Banning Gender Transition Procedures: The Department of Defense is barred from performing, funding, or facilitating any medical procedures related to gender transition for service members.
• Rejecting Identity-Based Accommodations: All policies that cater to gender identity, including gender-specific pronoun preferences and specialized medical treatments, are revoked.
• Ending Identity-Based Recruitment: Individuals who identify with a gender different from their biological sex will no longer be eligible for enlistment, aligning with longstanding DoD policies on medical and psychological fitness.
• Enforcing Honesty and Discipline: The order asserts that a soldier’s commitment to military service must be rooted in integrity and truth, not personal identity expression.

Hegseth has been vocal about restoring military effectiveness, arguing that identity-based policies have distracted from the core mission of national defense. In his latest memorandum to senior Pentagon leadership, he stated that “efforts to split our troops along lines of identity weaken our Force and make us vulnerable.” This directive signals a broader effort by the Trump administration to remove what it sees as ideological distractions from the armed forces, reinforcing a military culture centered on strength, discipline, and operational capability.

While the shift has drawn criticism from activists and certain lawmakers, it aligns with Trump’s broader efforts to reorient the military away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and toward combat preparedness. As these new policies take effect, the Department of Defense’s focus remains clear: ensuring the U.S. military is prepared for any conflict without ideological interference.