On January 27, 2025, the White House announced an executive order ending the recognition of transgender soldiers in the American military, just 75 years too late to make a difference to Klinger.

The EO — and, no, I’m not linking to it; gross — states that to be part of a “lethal and effective fighting force,” each service member must be “selflessness,” “honorable,” “truthful,” and “disciplined.” They must have “honesty,” “humility,” and “integrity.”

It does not say why someone’s gender identification — or lack thereof — has any impact on these qualities, save for a unsupported and blanket statements that “a man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent” with effective service. This, after earlier noting that “pursuit of military excellence cannot be diluted to accommodate political agendas or other ideologies.”

That no one involved with this document saw any contradiction in those two sentiments says a lot about it, and them.

On January 24, 2025, Pete Hegseth and his hair gel were confirmed as the new Secretary of Defense. He has an ongoing history of alcoholism, accusations of sexual assault, derisive views of female soldiers, and multiple tattoos associated with white nationalism. He is a former television host with no experience running a large organization. Three Republicans — including Mitch Fucking McConnell — voted against him, requiring dewy-eyed Vice President Beardo to break the tie.

Hegseth, by any reasonable definition, is not selfless, honorable, truthful, or disciplined. He has not shown honesty, humility, or integrity. He does, however, use he/him pronouns, even if he wouldn’t tell you that.

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the United States. He is an insurrectionist, a rapist, a felon, a liar, and a cheat. Like Hegseth, he is not selfless, honorable, truthful, or disciplined; he is not honest, humble, or remotely familiar with even the concept of integrity. As he signed the order, the pen he was holding burst into flames. He uses he/him pronouns, though I suspect he doesn’t understand what a “pronoun” is.

Within a week, the American military acquired a Commander in Chief and a Secretary of Defense who cannot meet any of their own stated requirements for effective or honorable service, save the arbitrary claim that they are “men,” in the purely chromosomal definition of the word.

Hegseth has already launched a crusade against life-long service member, four-star general, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley because he had the temerity to find fault with Trump’s first-term abuse of military personnel and symbolism for political theater. Honor and Integrity were not available for comment.

When further outrages come — and they will, ordered from the top — Trump and Hegseth can at least be assured that every atrocity, every horror, every nauseating shame they demand will be committed by someone whose uniform matches their birth certificate.

And that fewer people with true self-knowledge and the courage to declare it will be around to stop them.