US military's highest ranking transgender officer says separation process is broken
https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/transgender-ban-bree-fram-space-force/
Nicholas Slayton (9 June 2025)
U.S. Space Force Col. Bree Fram said that as of June 7, she is on administrative leave from the service, pending separation, as a result of the Pentagon's ban on transgender troops.
Fram, an astronautical engineer who previously served in the Air Force before moving to Space Force in 2021, was serving as director of requirements and integration for Space Force.
Most troops leaving the military are granted an "honorable discharge," a separation code that indicates they left in good standing with no serious discipline issues or professional failures.
A May 15 memo from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness said transgender enlisted personnel would be separated under the JFF separation code, meaning it was done by secretarial authority. Officers would be given a JDK code, which indicates on their service record that "their continued service is not clearly consistent with the interests of national security" — a black mark for troops in the job market, as it could prevent them from getting or maintaining security clearances that are required for certain jobs.
Rachel VanLandingham, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and JAG, told Task & Purpose that the JDK separation code is usually reserved for matters such as mishandling classified information.
Fram said that the main concern for them has been uncertainty over what is next. "Anyone navigating a transition out of the military is put in a challenging position, but they have this extra burden of being labeled as dishonorable or liars," she said.
It is sad to see the military forced to treat its own like this.