Under a new policy from the Pentagon, the military has been ordered to identify transgender troops and then remove them from service.
Karen Kendra Holmes, a trans woman who serves as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 for the听U.S. Veterans Reserve Corps, has questioned President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at preventing transgender people from serving in the military.
鈥淲hy not? If we are capable of doing the things that any cisgender soldier does, why can鈥檛 we?鈥� said Holmes, who previously served on the Maryland Defense Force.
The that it鈥檚 the policy of the military to 鈥渆stablish high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity,鈥� and that those with gender dysphoria violate that policy.
鈥淚 wish President Trump would actually sit down with some of these trans people that are already in to see the leadership and the positivity of readiness that we have,鈥� Holmes said.
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Because of this, the executive order won鈥檛 affect Holmes鈥� service; but she made sure to double check.
鈥淚 knew it wouldn鈥檛, but I went on and asked my colonel anyway,” Holmes said. “I said, 鈥業s it going to be a problem?鈥� He says, 鈥楴o, we won鈥檛 even be affected by that. Plus, we got your back.鈥� And I said, 鈥楪reat.鈥� And that鈥檚 the way it is with our entire group 鈥� they’ve got my back.”
However, people close to Holmes will be impacted.
鈥淭here are some friends of mine 鈥� they鈥檙e colonels, they鈥檙e generals,” Holmes said. “And their actions, I鈥檓 positive, are very positive with the branch that they鈥檙e in.鈥�
What the new policy says
On Feb. 7, Secretary of Defense Pete 听for Pentagon leaders to enforce new rules on how transgender people will be treated.
鈥淓ffective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for Service members are paused,鈥� the memorandum stated.
A memo sent to Defense Department leaders on Thursday also ordered the military to come up with a plan to identify troops with gender dysphoria by March 26. Those troops will then be removed from service, The Associated Press reported.
It builds on Trump’s executive order from January — which is being challenged in a lawsuit filed by transgender active-duty service members and recruits.
‘They just want to serve’: The data on transgender troops
Holmes said some people argue that transgender people only join the military for the benefits and free gender-affirming surgeries, but she said that’s not true.
鈥淎ny other trans soldier who鈥檚 in there 鈥� they鈥檙e not joining to have surgery done by our taxes,” Holmes said. “We鈥檙e joining because we want to serve our country. And that鈥檚 the reason why we do it. We鈥檙e not looking for benefits like that. Because some of the trans people don鈥檛 want to have the surgery, they just want to serve.”
Between 2016 and 2021, surgeries conducted at military facilities, according to military.com. But the data on transgender troops is very limited.
U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the number of easily identifiable transgender troops is in the hundreds and a total of 2.1 million troops are serving.
An听听by the Palm Center, a think tank that focused on LGBTQ+ military members, estimated there were about 14,707 transgender service members, serving both active duty and in the reserves.
‘We鈥檙e doing great things’
Holmes transitioned in 2010 and has a long career of public service under her belt. Through her service with U.S. Veterans Reserve Corps, she aids in things such as vaccine distribution, food distribution and hurricane cleanup.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing great things right now. We鈥檙e learning more in regards to search and rescue, we鈥檝e learned some stuff as far as swift water rescue training, how to tie knots to lower somebody down on litter, pulling them up in a litter. We鈥檙e sharp,鈥� Holmes said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e literally everywhere that anybody wants our services. We鈥檙e going to be there.鈥�
She joined the Maryland Defense Force in 2011 as a corporal and worked on the Color Guard team, did force protection and was a chaplain鈥檚 assistant.
In 2012, she won Non-Commission Officer Soldier of the Year by the Maryland Defense Force and the Maryland State Guard Association. In 2013, she won Soldier of the Year for her leadership and achievements at her post by the State Guard Association of the U.S.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing great things out there,” Holmes said.
Before Trump made a sweeping cut of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, she also travelled across the country to different law enforcement offices, aiming to bridge the gap between them and the transgender community.
“Why would you want to get rid of a trans person who has the knowledge that you鈥檝e trained us on to be able to do the things out there in the community, to serve the community?” Holmes said. “I get frustrated when I hear people in Congress who don鈥檛 like us or even President Trump who doesn鈥檛 believe that we should be in the military.”
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