1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to restore pension access for transgender Air Force service members who are being separated under the recent policy changes. These individuals served honorably—many for 15 to 18 years—and were counting on the retirement benefits they were promised. On August 4, 2025, the Air Force issued a memo, signed by Acting Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Brian Scarlett, denying all Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) requests from transgender Airmen and Guardians in this service bracket. This reverses earlier premature approvals and replaces them with a one-time lump-sum separation payment—often taxed heavily—rather than a lifetime pension with cost-of-living adjustments. The difference is stark. A lump-sum payment might total around $200,000 for a senior enlisted member, but a pension for the same person would typically exceed $700,000 over a lifetime—and, more importantly, would provide the stability of guaranteed monthly income. These service members built their lives around the expectation of that benefit. This policy denies them not only the financial security they earned, but also the dignity of a retirement consistent with their years of honorable service. It sends the damaging message that their sacrifice is worth less because they are transgender. I ask that you: 1 Demand immediate hearings to investigate this policy and its impact on affected service members. 2 Require the Department of Defense to honor TERA pensions for any separated service member with 15 or more years of service, regardless of gender identity. 3 Ensure that no future personnel policy targets a protected group for loss of earned benefits. These Airmen and Guardians answered the call to serve our country. We owe them the benefits they earned—nothing less. Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter.