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Seventeen seventeen transgender American military members has filed a lawsuit against the former president's government for denying their early retirement pensions and related entitlements.

Legal Challenge Filed in US District Court

The legal filing, presented in US district court, characterizes the government's action as "unlawful and invalid" according to legal papers.

This legal action follows the Air Force's announcement that it would revoke premature pension benefits to all trans military personnel with 15-18 years of military experience, a decision that essentially forces them out of the military without pension benefits.

"The Air Force's own retirement instruction states that pension authorization may only be revoked under extremely restricted conditions, none of which were present here," declares the lawsuit.

Claimants and Economic Consequences

Included in the listed claimants are Logan Ireland, Technical Sergeant Davis, Kira Brimhall and Lindell Walley.

Legal advocacy groups acting for the affected service members stated that the cancellation of early retirement support had ripped away financial support and benefits these households were depending on after many years of distinguished service to their country.

"The affected personnel will lose $1-2 million in lifetime benefits, threatening their families' economic security," per the legal statement. "This decision also strips the airmen and their families of access to military health insurance, the armed forces healthcare plan, which would have provided access to civilian health care providers beyond Veterans Administration centers."

Broader Context

The lawsuit occurred during the most recent intensification by the former administration to prohibit trans individuals from joining the military and to remove those already serving. The Pentagon has argued that trans individuals are not medically qualified, something civil rights activists have strongly contested and say represents illegal discrimination.

In March, a federal judge blocked Trump's executive order banning trans individuals from armed forces duty. Federal judge Judge Reyes in Washington DC ruled that the directive likely violated their constitutional rights. Pentagon officials have stated in the past that 4,200 military personnel were diagnosed with "gender dysphoria", which they use as an identifier of being trans.

Air Force Policies

The Air Force, however, has stood apart in its enforcement of policies that go further than just separating troops from armed forces duty. As well as revoking early retirement benefits, the branch rolled out a recent regulation in August to deny transgender members the right to argue before a board of their peers for the right to continue serving.

The most recent lawsuit, the latest in a string, is contesting that policy.

Court Requests

According to the court documents, the "claimants' pension authorizations remain valid and effective". Their attorneys are calling for these "authorizations to be reinstated" and pushing for "their military records be corrected accordingly". The lawsuit also says "interest, legal expenses and lawyer costs" must be included and "further relief as the court deems fair and appropriate."

"The military trained me to command and combat, not retreat," stated Ireland, who has 15 years of military experience. "Stripping away my pension communicates that those principles only matter on the front lines, not when a service member requires them most critically."