Abstract
While eighteen nations have policies that support military personnel who are transgender, such individuals have only been openly allowed to serve in the USA since 2016. There are an estimated 8950 active duty transgender personnel currently serving in the four branches of the US military with thousands of additional troops serving in the reserve forces. Yet recent executive memorandums from the current US presidential administration are attempting to reshape the policy and have threatened the transgender soldier from serving in spite of research supporting their service and their contribution to military readiness. Inclusive transgender military policy is new and still malleable making it subject to political whims not supported by the facts. This paper covers the history of transgender military service including recent research and case law that has shaped policy. The response of military social workers in conjunction with the social work code of ethics is explored at both the clinical and advocacy level.