The armed forces will begin screening for gender dysphoria among service members in order to enforce the ban on transgenders in the military, according to a Pentagon memo released Thursday.

Effective “immediately,” commanders will be required to screen for gender dysphoria during regularly scheduled physicals, according to a memo from acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jules Hurst III. President Donald Trump’s January executive order barred transgenders from serving in the military, declaring that transgenderism was “not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”

“Commanders who are aware of Service members in their units with gender dysphoria, a history of gender dysphoria, or symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria will direct individualized medical record reviews of such Service members to confirm compliance with medical standards under the [Individual Medical Readiness] program,” the memo reads.

Soldiers of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade take part in a large-scale military drill at the Oudemolen military complex as part of Exercise Falcon Spring 2025, in Drenthe, northern Netherlands, on May 14, 2025. (Photo by SIESE VEENSTRA/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Approximately 4,200 individuals have gender dysphoria in the military, a senior defense official told reporters in a call Thursday.

Active duty service members seeking voluntary separation have until June 7 to identify themselves, while reserve members have until July 7, the official told reporters. Failure to meet the deadline may mean a smaller separation package and involuntary removal.

Commanders will be obligated to perverse the privacy of medical records, and only disclose the information to officials on a need-to-know basis commensurate with official duties, according to the memo. All armed forces will be required to submit compliance reports by June 15, 2025.

Moreover, commanders will have the power to flag service members if they exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria, the memo reads. Further medical evaluation will be required to confirm the diagnosis.

Trump’s order was briefly paused due to legal challenges, but was cleared to take effect after the Supreme Court allowed its enforcement in a May 6 ruling.

Former President Joe Biden lifted Trump’s first-term ban on transgender service members in 2021. Over his four years in office, LGBT initiatives became a focus of the American military, including funding for transgender procedures on service members.

Moreover, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives also further seeped into the military on Biden’s watch, including race-based admissions in service academies as well as recruiting and retention pushes designed specifically to cater to minority groups.

Trump’s second term has seen a mass removal of left-wing initiatives and leaders in the armed forces and service academies under the leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.