Air Force involuntary-separation framework: medical boards, deployment bans, SkillBridge denial, cadet disenrollment

An August 14, 2025 memo and updated regulations set out the machinery for involuntarily separating transgender airmen: Airman Medical Readiness Optimization boards screen medical records for gender dysphoria diagnoses or symptoms and flag members to commanders for referral to separation boards; a general officer serves as consolidated disposition authority. During processing, members cannot deploy; those not complying with birth-sex dress and grooming standards may be placed on administrative leave; affected members are denied access to the SkillBridge transition program; and cadets at commissioning sources are disenrolled and discharged.