Every generation prior to me had some degree of military service; I knew damn well, early on in life, that i would not join under any circumstances. I've seen how this country treats veterans; I've worked most of my adult life alongside active duty and retirees (contractors and federal employees alike).
Thankfully I'm too old to be drafted. 32 as of writing this, if it had happened when I was younger I probably would've tried to get out of it, different ways though since I was so stubborn and I didn't end up realizing I'm trans until I was 26, almost 27.
If the shit hits the fan they'll draft up to 55. They drafted to 45 for World War 2 and had authority to go to 65. The only reason Vietnam stayed young is the limited engagement area could only fit so many people.
I was serving in the US military the first time Trump was president and he tried to ban trans people then. The Department of Defense told all of us to not take action yet, and they managed to talk Trump out of the decision.
But that was when we had a Democrat majority in the other government branches. This time, it's all Republican, and they love cutting our military pay and benefits. Don't let them fool you; they act like they care about the military but they just use us for the good press. If it weren't for Democrats, we wouldn't have any benefits left. I'm retired now, but I expect my pension and VA medical benefits to be gutted under Trump. I might actually have to end my retirement and go back to work.
I expect trans people will actually be banned this time. Plus gay people; Republicans were pissed we let gay folks openly serve a decade ago. And women's roles in the military will probably be restricted too, if not outright banned. My wife served in the military too and she's had her own challenges with people not respecting her authority because she was a woman. I imagine it'll get far worse soon, with Trump's presidency inviting misogynists out into the open.
I was in the military a couple of decades ago. I couldn't even imagine what someone who is trans goes through to be in the military. That has to be a motherfucker who absolutely wants to be there.
There (is/was) some incentive there to cover surgeries, i think? That and, frankly, representation matters (especially to leadership, while recruiting numbers are low).
The first outwardly trans person i met was a servicemember while I was working for the DoD, and that made me start questioning all the anger and fury about trans people.
I'm retired now, but I expect my pension and VA medical benefits to be gutted under Trump.
There is a little more effort required to fuck with already granted compensation benefits than there is new claims. The medical care, and possibly the pension, may be easier to get rid of. Major budget cuts for the hospitals would be plenty enough to ruin all the past years of progress.
Best bet is to make sure your dav/veteran group membership is up to date for the inevitable lawsuits, and for a good direct news sources on any changes that may be made. And also avoid making any compensation claims after any big law changes that make things worse.
Best solution : leave USA, to be a stranger.
Maybe no serving then ? I mean those assholes of nationalists leader, across the world, wouldn't want a stranger in their national army anyway.
Why wait until then? They might require more than just saying you're trans to get out of it, come out, get hormones, surgeries (if you want) stuff that isn't reversible that would make you physically less able to qualify.
The most popular way into the Rebel Alliance is through the Imperial Navy.
During the golden age of piracy, able seamen discontent with their treatment by the (aristocratic) officers would go onto the account of a private ship, a pirate or privateer.