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U.S. Air Force to deny early retirement benefits to some transgender service members

cpwill said:
It's not a punishment to have an honorable discharge, if one's service rates it - you do not have a right to service. One precedent for that would be the COVID vaccine, which was implemented mid-tour for the vast majority of the military, and whose refusal would get you kicked out during the previous administration, as that POTUS decided it was now a necessary condition of service (full disclosure: I was serving in a civilian capacity in a military command at the time, was required to get the shot, got it, and had no problems doing so).

If you want to say that leadership are being dicks about it, sure, but, retirement? For someone with 15? 15 years to get a retirement for life? That's.... that's a stretch, even for me.
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The covid vaccine was an emergency safety measure, kicking trans people out was a political one.
 
cpwill said:
I don't know how that lawsuit will turn out, tbh.

Being invited to apply for early retirement is not the same thing as being promised an approval of that application.

Military retirement is generally reserved for two conditions:

* Due to injury while serving, you are no longer able to serve at all (Medical Retirement)​
* 20+ Years of Service​

TERA (temp early retirement authority) allows partial - not full - retirement benefits to assist military branches in drawing down their personnel numbers.
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W_Heisenberg said:
Thank you for the correction. It was not accurate for me to write "full" in the OP.
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Depends on what you mean by "full retirement".

Militare retirement, under normal circumstances, is 50% of base pay increasing 2.5% per year to 75% of base pay at 30 years (IIRC most are now under a average of high 3-year base pay).

Those under TERA incurred an early retirement penality which reduced the value for each year(?) or month(?) prior to a full 20 years. There if you peg the question to 20 years? Ya, it's not full retirement. If you say it's the full retirement with the pension reduction for early retirement, that's a little more nuanced.

Personally I view it as full retirement because even with the reduced amount there are other retirement benefits such as:
* TRICARE SELECT | TRICARE FOR LIFE for medical
* Use of BENEFEDS/FEDVIP for Vision and Dental (TRICARE doesn't have vision and dental, so military retirees can access Federal Employee benefits for individual insurance under a the federal group plan.)
* TRICARE Pharmacy
* Access to Military Exchanges and Commissaries
* Access to Military base recreational facilities
* In my state (VA), military retiree pensions are exempted from State Income tax up to a maximum (IIRC $40,000)
* Use of the Survivor Benefit Plan as part of your retirement pay to ensure loved ones continue to receive part of your retirement if you pass.
* There may be a few others that I fogot off the top of my head.

WW
 
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WorldWatcher said:
Depends on what you mean by "full retirement".

Militare retirement, under normal circumstances, is 50% of base pay increasing 2.5% per year to 75% of base pay at 30 years (IIRC most are now under a average of high 3-year base pay).

Those under TERA incurred an early retirement penality which reduced the value for each year(?) or month(?) prior to a full 20 years. There if you peg the question to 20 years? Ya, it's not full retirement. If you say it's the full retirement with the pension reduction for early retirement, that's a little more nuanced.

Personally I view it as full retirement because even with the reduced amount there are other retirement benefits such as:
* TRICARE SELECT | TRICARE FOR LIFE for medical
* Use of BENEFEDS/FEDVIP for Vision and Dental (TRICARE doesn't have vision and dental, so military retirees can access Federal Employee benefits for individual insurance under a the federal group plan.)
* TRICARE Pharmacy
* Access to Military Exchanges and Commissaries
* Access to Military base recreational facilities
* In my state (VA), military retiree pensions are exempted from State Income tax up to a maximum (IIRC $40,000)
* Use of the Survivor Benefit Plan as part of your retirement pay to ensure loved ones continue to receive part of your retirement if you pass.
* There may be a few others that I fogot off the top of my head.

WW
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Yeah, I agree. They’re definitely getting a bad deal and only as a consequence of their gender identity. It’s wrong. It’s malicious.
 
W_Heisenberg said:
Yeah, I agree. They’re definitely getting a bad deal and only as a consequence of their gender identity. It’s wrong. It’s malicious.
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Oh I agree.

It's morally wrong and goes to show how little Trump and Hedgepeth value those who serve.

Sadly, there is a difference between being committed to care for those that protect us and the legalities of what they are trying to do to those service members.

But what do you expect from someone that got daddy to pay a doctor for a bone spurs note but yet claimed to be the best athlete and then selects a news caster as SecDef.

WW
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So many children are protected by this.
 
WorldWatcher said:
Depends on what you mean by "full retirement".

Militare retirement, under normal circumstances, is 50% of base pay increasing 2.5% per year to 75% of base pay at 30 years (IIRC most are now under a average of high 3-year base pay).

Those under TERA incurred an early retirement penality which reduced the value for each year(?) or month(?) prior to a full 20 years. There if you peg the question to 20 years? Ya, it's not full retirement. If you say it's the full retirement with the pension reduction for early retirement, that's a little more nuanced.

Personally I view it as full retirement because even with the reduced amount there are other retirement benefits such as:
* TRICARE SELECT | TRICARE FOR LIFE for medical
* Use of BENEFEDS/FEDVIP for Vision and Dental (TRICARE doesn't have vision and dental, so military retirees can access Federal Employee benefits for individual insurance under a the federal group plan.)
* TRICARE Pharmacy
* Access to Military Exchanges and Commissaries
* Access to Military base recreational facilities
* In my state (VA), military retiree pensions are exempted from State Income tax up to a maximum (IIRC $40,000)
* Use of the Survivor Benefit Plan as part of your retirement pay to ensure loved ones continue to receive part of your retirement if you pass.
* There may be a few others that I fogot off the top of my head.

WW
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Just to note - While those with 15+ years have the option of still being covered under that retirement formula, it did change. 2% * AVG of High 3 * # Years Served is the new formula, and it comes with an additional match of up to 5% in the TSP.
 
NuffSaid said:
Prove that trans folks are mentally ill.
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I think people severely mutilating themselves surgically because they think they're in the wrong body is a sign of mental illness. You're welcome to think that's normal.
 
Bullseye said:
Just for clarification military funding decisions are made by Congress and signed by the President. Additionally, there are also rules on how an individual earns his retirement including years of service and provisions for early exit.
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Trump doesnt ‘win’ any votes here @Bullseye , with his mean vindictiveness for those who’ve served this nation for 15-18 years, showing us his 🍖 spurs.
 
Cosmo said:
I think people severely mutilating themselves surgically because they think they're in the wrong body is a sign of mental illness. You're welcome to think that's normal.
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There’s no mutilation. And it’s not severe.
I let people do what they want to. I’m not part of the group that wants the federal government to make decisions for people’s personal choices.
 
NuffSaid said:
There’s no mutilation. And it’s not severe.
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Yeah all they're doing is amputating a couple of boobs, no big deal! :ROFLMAO:
NuffSaid said:
I let people do what they want to. I’m not part of the group that wants the federal government to make decisions for people’s personal choices.
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Who is stopping them from mutilating themselves?
 
W_Heisenberg said:
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits. One Air Force sergeant said he was "betrayed and devastated" by the move.

The move means that transgender service members will now be faced with the choice of either taking a lump-sum separation payment offered to junior troops or be removed from the service.

An Air Force spokesperson told The Associated Press that "although service members with 15 to 18 years of honorable service were permitted to apply for an exception to policy, none of the exceptions to policy were approved." About a dozen service members had been "prematurely notified" that they would be able to retire before that decision was reversed, according to the spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Air Force policy.


What’s happening is they are kicking out transgender personnel. This posed a problem for transgender personnel who were close to 20 years and had the potential to receive full retirement if not for the fact they were being forced out early.

In May the USAF basically promised them that even though they were being forced out they could still get full retirement benefits even if they had not served a full 20 years and instead served only 15 to 18 years.

Now the USAF is reneging on that promise.
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Drip, drip, drip, another blow against trans people. We all know where this ends.
 
Cosmo said:
Yeah all they're doing is amputating a couple of boobs, no big deal! :ROFLMAO:
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Women get mastectomies. Do you call that severe mutilation?

Who is stopping them from mutilating themselves?
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There is no mutilation.
Until your narrow mindedness can get past that, there’s no further conversation.
 
Phys251 said:
Drip, drip, drip, another blow against trans people. We all know where this ends.
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Trump and SStephen crossed a sacred line here with Veterans and those serving.
These ‘people’ proudly and competently served their now ungrateful nation for 15-18 years.
Other’ ‘ Groupings still serving their 🇺🇸 have already seen ‘more’ of who’s next.
 
W_Heisenberg said:
You make a promise, you follow through.

Right? That’s what I was taught.

Trump’s management of the government is creating a situation where people aren’t going to trust the government anymore for anything.

Unfortunately, I think it’s true that religious belief motivates this sort of thinking, that it is appropriate for the government to not fulfill its promises when interacting with transgender people because the actions of transgender represent a moral abomination in their view.
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It's a sign from the top -- a president who signs contracts with contractors and then refuses to pay them.
 
Cosmo said:
Yeah, for cancer so they don't die! :rolleyes:
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According to you, chopping off boobs is severe mutilation.
Be sure to tell those women who got a mastectomy about their severe mutilation. I bet they’ll appreciate the heartfelt sentiment.

Yes, and so do they, which is why they often follow it up with reconstructive surgery or wear prosthetic breasts afterwards!
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They feel terrible after being told they are doing severe mutilation on their body.
 
NuffSaid said:
According to you, chopping off boobs is severe mutilation.
Be sure to tell those women who got a mastectomy about their severe mutilation. I bet they’ll appreciate the heartfelt sentiment.


They feel terrible after being told they are doing severe mutilation on their body.
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They're accepting the mutilation as a necessity of staying alive and then dealing with the consequences as best as they can. That doesn't make it not mutilation. Ever heard of Aron Ralston?
 
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