The Army’s latest memo detailed other steps beyond the records change to reflect the soldier’s sex at birth, alterations it said would be carried out by the Army’s Human Resources Command.
The Army document said that pronoun use when referring to individuals “must reflect their biological sex.”
“In keeping with good order and discipline, salutations (e.g., addressing a senior officer as “sir” or “ma’am”),” the document stated.
It also stated that access to “intimate spaces” will be determined by an individual’s biological sex.
“Commanders will ensure all such shared intimate spaces will be clearly designated for either male, female, or family use,” the document stated.
There are 4,240 US active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, officials have said. Transgender rights advocates have given higher estimates.
“The directives coming out are vindictive and aggressive. At the same time, they are being issued in a chaotic way that undoubtedly is harming military readiness,” said Jennifer Levi, a senior director at the pro-LGBTQ legal group GLAD Law.
Trump signed an executive order in January, after returning to the presidency, that reversed a policy implemented under his predecessor Joe Biden that had allowed transgender troops to serve openly.
A Gallup poll published in February found that 58% of Americans favoured allowing openly transgender individuals to serve in the military, but the support had declined from 71% in 2019.
A former Fox News host, Hegseth has embraced conservative stances on culture war issues, including eliminating diversity initiatives at the Pentagon.