The president’s orders involved various matters that would have significant consequences in the armed services. From troops who were discharged years ago due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates to eliminating political ideologically driven programs that prioritized things such as race, gender, and sex over merit, Trump’s directives called for sweeping changes in the military. 

In an executive order, “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” Trump eliminated “race-based and sex-based discrimination within the Armed Forces of the United States.” He promoted adherence to meritocracy and stated that he was removing practices of military members being “preferred or disadvantaged on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, color, or creed.”

Trump also mentioned that the doctrine of diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, had corrupted the U.S. military and that it was a process that would no longer apply during his administration.

“Unfortunately, in recent years civilian and uniformed leadership alike have implemented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and their attendant race and sex preferences within the Armed Forces,” read the directive. “These actions undermine leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness.  They also violate Americans’ consciences by engaging in invidious race and sex discrimination.”

In a different executive order, entitled “Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military’s COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate,” Trump upheld a campaign vow to reinstate men and women in the military who were discharged after a mandate requiring troops to receive the COVID-19 vaccine that went into effect on August 24, 2021. The president’s directive made that promise a reality.

“The vaccine mandate was an unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary burden on our service members,” read Trump’s executive order. “Further, the military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received.  Federal Government redress of any wrongful dismissals is overdue.” 

In a third executive order, Trump announced changes to policies regarding transgender people in the military. With the “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” the president announced that the military would no longer recognize gender identity claims. The order explained that any person in the military who chose to express a “false ‘gender identity’ could not fully meet “the rigorous standards necessary for military service.” Furthermore, it stated that anyone who took an identity that was not their real sex ran counter to a soldier’s principles of living a lifestyle committed to honor, truth, and discipline.

“A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,” noted the executive order.

“For the sake of our Nation and the patriotic Americans who volunteer to serve it, military service must be reserved for those mentally and physically fit for duty,” read the EO. “The Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards to ensure our military can deploy, fight, and win, including in austere conditions and without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions.”

It also specified that within 60 days, the secretary of defense would “end invented and identification-based pronoun usage to best achieve the policy outlined in section 2 of this order.” Moreover, within 30 days, the head of the Pentagon must formulate a strategy to evaluate the readiness of transgender people in the military and “identify all additional steps and issue guidance to fully implement the executive order.”