Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon Shuts Down Transgender Recruitment and Costly Medical Procedures

The Pentagon, under the leadership of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has issued a directive pausing all new transgender recruitments and halting medical procedures related to gender transition within the U.S. military, according to a February 7, 2025, memo.

BREAKING: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just issued an order halting all transition procedures for trans troops.

“Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical… pic.twitter.com/jmHe325YJr

— George (@BehizyTweets) February 10, 2025

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The memo, addressed to senior Pentagon leadership, underscores the importance of maintaining a military force that prioritizes ability and mission adherence over identity-based classifications.

“The Department must ensure it is building ‘One Force’ without subgroups defined by anything other than ability or mission adherence,” the memo states.

It further explains that any efforts to divide service members along identity lines “weaken our force and make us vulnerable. Such efforts must not be tolerated or accommodated.”

The directive aligns with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14183, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which reinforces the administration’s position that military service should not accommodate gender identity assertions that diverge from biological sex.

The executive order states:

“Consistent with the military mission and longstanding DoD policy, expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service. Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life. A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”

JUST IN – U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth has issued a memo which essentially stops individuals with gender dysphoria from joining the military and stopped gender transition surgery for all troops. pic.twitter.com/IyQSuxB0B9

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) February 10, 2025

As a result of the policy change, the Pentagon has paused all new accessions of individuals with a history of gender dysphoria.

Additionally, any medical procedures related to affirming or facilitating a gender transition—whether unscheduled, scheduled, or planned—are now on hold for current service members.

Despite the policy shift, the memo makes clear that all service members will be “treated with dignity and respect.”

The directive follows a January 27 memo from the Trump administration, which reaffirmed the need for strict mental and physical fitness standards within the U.S. Armed Forces.

“The Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards to ensure our military can deploy, fight, and win, including in austere conditions and without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions,” the memo states.

It further argues that the military’s readiness standards are incompatible with the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints associated with gender dysphoria.

A Rasmussen Reports survey released last week found that 54% of Americans approve of policies to discharge military personnel who identify as transgender or are undergoing gender transition treatments for failing to meet fitness standards.

Meanwhile, 41% of respondents expressed disapproval.

The Trump administration has consistently emphasized military preparedness, with officials arguing that prioritizing combat effectiveness over identity-based policies is essential for national security.

As the Pentagon moves forward with these policy adjustments, further debate is expected regarding the role of transgender service members and military fitness standards.

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