Navy, Marine Boards Recommend Retaining Transgender Troops

Navy and Marine Corps review boards have recommended retaining transgender service members in nine of 12 reported cases, while the Army and Air Force have recommended discharge in most or all cases reported. The Navy’s boards voted to retain seven of nine sailors, and Marine Corps boards recommended keeping two of three Marines, according to figures compiled from interviews with service members and attorneys. The reported outcomes differ by branch. The Army has held about 50 hearings, with discharge recommended in all but roughly five, according to the tally described by military correspondent Dave Philipps. The Air Force recommended discharge in all six known cases. Those figures are approximate or case-limited, not comprehensive Pentagon statistics. The boards review cases under a policy that directs discharge when a service member is found to be transgender. The three-member panels are made up of officers and enlisted personnel. Their decisions are recommendations, not final determinations, and the service secretaries can reverse them. The proceedings are closed, and the Pentagon has not released comprehensive figures. Marine Staff Sgt. Damien Contreras’s board crossed out...