The reversal is causing mass confusion and a sense of “loss and betrayal” among airmen who thought they had their exit from the military sorted out.

Those men and women who each had between 15 and 18 years of service, applied for early retirement and got approval from the secretary of the Air Force, said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center of LGBTQ Rights, who is representing some of the trans service members.

The service issued a memo on Wednesday that will force at least a dozen transgender servicemen and women to lose lifetime benefits.