To live to earn, live like myself: a transkendy official’s perspective

I grew up in a religious and conservative house. I was home education all except 2 years of my K-12 education. I considered myself a conservative until 2016. I am still religious today.

I come from a service family. My cousin is right. Admiral James O. Ellis Jr., former Commander of the United States Strategic Command, now a fellow at the Hoover Institution. My big uncle served in the Army during World War II in the Battle of Bulge as a forward -looking artillery observes. My grandfather served in the marine under ww2 hunting submarines. My older brother served in the army as an M1 Abram’s tank operator in Iraq in 2003. Service is in my blood.

I joined the Virginia Army National Guard in 2009 as a 15 g helicopter mechanic. I released to Iraq for Operation New Dawn in 2011 and served the air medal to serve as a helicopter door shooter. I served in reserve operations in Guatemala in 2014 to operate beyond the horizon, deployed to Kuwait in 2016 for surgery inherent determination and completed my BA in international relations while I was deployed to Kuwait.

I have had symptoms of what I now know to be “gender dysphoria” since I was 5 years old. I learned early to hide these symptoms from my family because I thought they thought I was a bad person. This led to healthy and non-so-healthy coping mechanisms. I thought that if I could just be more religious, more successful, more manly … that I would heal my condition.

I got married, bought a house, helped travel a steptatter, played drums in the church band and adopted a dog. All the things I thought a good man should do. And I really wanted to do these things, but I also hoped it would also fix me. It didn’t work.

In 2020, I applied as a staff sergeant and was accepted in the Army Warrant Officer Flight Training Program. I completed Warrant Officer Candidate School, Sere School (survival, evasion, resistance and escape) and the UH60 Black Hawk Helicopter Course. During the pandemic and flight training, I realized that I had suppressed my gender dysphoria symptoms and finally was at some point in my life and a career where I could meet them. I sought therapy and learned what options were available. I returned home from Flight School and flew with my device for a year before I took the next step. After a lot of advice and discussion with my spouse, we agreed that for my health I needed to take steps towards the transition.

In 2023, I sent an email to my command that told them I intended to start the transition during the current transitional policy in service. My commander called me immediately after receiving the E email and offering his support. I was met with overwhelming support from my entire command team and it would be kept confidential until I was ready to officially change gender. During this period, I started hormone therapy and slowly started presenting the woman in private or on vacations. I was medically stable and deployable 2 months later. Not any transgender person needs or wants gender distribution surgery.

By 2024 I came out to my unit and started presenting publicly as a woman. Once again, I was met with overwhelming support from my unit as a whole. For obvious reasons, I was nervous, I would be unwelcome or make other females feel uncomfortable with my presence in the barracks, toilets, etc. Many female soldiers in my unit offered their support. Some even went out of their way of making me feel comfortable in their space.

I have paid out of the pocket of all my trans -related care. The military has not covered any of it. I recently undergone facial feminization surgery and was non-implementable for 6 weeks. This was considered an optional surgery and is not considered medically necessary for transition. Looks like anyone who gets a nasal job or facelift.

Since I am a part -time military, I have also had to balance military obligations while working full time in the private sector. When I am called for service or training, I make less money than I do in the private sector. I say this to emphasize that this comes from a servant heart and is not motivated by finances or promises of medical treatment.

I have earned in the same unit for 15 years. I will earn at least 15 more. I love my state and I love my country.

Yes, have earned 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard. Her current rank and job title is Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2) – UH60 Black Hawk Pilot. She has served in combat zones in Iraq and other operations abroad. She is a transgender woman and recently surpassed while serving in the military. When she does not earn her country, she works as an IT engineer in the private sector and previously worked as the digital media manager for Sreconish.com. She enjoys flying flights, racing cars, playing musical instruments and skateboarding. The views and statements present are they are of course Ellis and do not necessarily represent the views of the Dod or the Army.