New DOD Leadership Takes Aim At Controversial Gender Directives

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – DOD will immediately begin moving openly ‘transgender’ service members out of the military and give others 30 days (by June ‘Pride’ month) to self-identify.

The 1,000 troops who have already self-identified “will begin the voluntary separation process” from the military.

Buoyed by Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump team to enforce a ban on transgenders in the military, DOD will begin going through medical records to identify others who haven’t come forward.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who issued the latest memo, made his views clear after the court’s decision.

“No More Trans @ DoD,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X. Earlier in the day, before the court acted, Hegseth said that his department is leaving wokeness and weakness behind.

“No more pronouns,” he told a special operations forces conference in Tampa. “No more dudes in dresses. We’re done with that sh*t”

Pentagon officials in an earlier memo defended the ban, saying that “the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.”

Between 2015 and 2024, the total cost for psychotherapy, sex-change hormone therapy, surgery and other treatment for service members is about $52 million.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

Beyond Golden Dome: why effective missile defense begins far left of launch. While advanced tracking capabilities, AI-enabled data synthesis, interceptors and directed energy weapons rightfully command attention, we cannot focus solely on the terminal phase of the threat. Effective missile defense must begin well before a missile leaves the ground.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Post ‘Signalgate,’ Pentagon CIO prioritizes secure platforms for sensitive instant messaging, moving to accelerate government and military leaders’ access to trustworthy options for communicating sensitive, real-time information.

An illegal alien whose family claims she drove into the entrance of a San Diego military base by mistake could now face deportation.

POLITICS

Boeing has told the Air Force it can deliver new Air Force One jets by 2027 if the service agrees to loosen some requirements.

Lawmakers tried to hash out details of the Army’s transformation plan as the defense-industry executive nominee to be the Army undersecretary took questions at his confirmation hearing.

In January, the Trump administration issued an executive order requiring DOD to come up with a proposal that would determine the feasibility of letting military families take federal funding and spend it on the school of their choice, including for religious schools, while possibly reducing funding for DOD facilities.

US POWER OVERSEAS

This 53-aircraft ‘elephant walk’ at Kadena Air Base in Japan might be the largest we’ve ever seen.

CHINA THREAT

Two Chinese Navy frigates and a China Coast Guard cutter harassed a Philippine Navy patrol ship in the South China Sea near Scarborough Shoal in what Manila described as “aggressive and unsafe maneuvers.”

Europe remains asleep at the wheel in Ukraine. Chinese strongman Xi Jinping’s four-day state visit to Russia, which began yesterday, is sending Europe and US a stark message. Beijing’s “no limits” partnership with Moscow is here to stay.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

Putin uses the USSR’s victory in World War II to rally support for him and the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine says Russia violating its own 3-day ceasefire, calls it a ‘farce,’ while Moscow said Kyiv had continued fighting.

President Trump called on Thursday for an “ideally 30-day unconditional ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine and threatened sanctions if it is “not respected.”

IRAN THREAT/MIDEAST

US strikes depleted Houthi arsenal but militants primed to rearm for future fights and will continue to attack Israel, following a deal the Iran-backed militants struck with the White House to stop attacking Red Sea shipping in exchange for an end to crippling airstrikes.

Over the past few months, an Israeli military operation has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians in West Bank cities. Some fear it may be laying ground to annex the territory.

INDIA-PAKISTAN

Pakistan’s army said it shot down 25 military drones that fanned over population centers — including the city that houses its general headquarters.

A dogfight between Chinese-made Pakistani jets and French-made Indian Rafale fighters will be closely scrutinized by militaries seeking insights that could offer an edge in future conflicts.

SPACE THREAT

US Space Force narrows field in $100 million space laser communications terminal program. Blue Origin did not make the cut.

DOD is ramping up efforts to bring commercial technology into military systems, betting that private-sector speed and innovation can help modernize US defense programs, especially in space.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

While it is one of the most joyous days the continent has ever lived, the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day is haunted as much by the specter of current-day conflict.

Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled to Paris on his first foreign trip as head of government to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, with the two leaders promising closer defense ties and a reboot of the Franco-German alliance.

US-based company ‘Saildrone’ will deploy four large, unmanned surface vessels in Danish waters next month to conduct maritime surveillance missions of busy shipping routes and help protect critical undersea infrastructure.

US MILITARY

Sea-launched nuclear cruise missile to deliver in 2034, says admiral.

All special operators will soon wear concussion sensors as the services aim to better track brain health. In addition to the blast exposure monitoring system better body armor is also in store next year.

Special operators are upgrading nearly every aspect of their helicopter fleet as they await the Army’s newest addition to the rotary wing section.

Army has approved a series of revisions to its physical fitness test, recalibrating performance benchmarks in a modest move that reflects mounting internal and political pressure over how the military measures fitness.

Army will consolidate its Futures Command with its Training and Doctrine Command under a new command called the Army’s Transformation and Training Command.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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