Federal Court Grants Order Barring Separation Proceedings for Two Transgender Servicemembers

Despite serving with distinction in the U.S. Air Force for years Staff Sergeant Nicholas Bear Bade and Master Sergeant Logan Ireland have been pulled from key deployments and placed on administrative absence against their will because of the transgender military ban

The New Jersey federal district court today granted a Temporary Restraining Order to keep Staff Sergeant Nicholas Bear Bade and Master Sergeant Logan Ireland from being further impacted by the Trump administration’s transgender military ban while a case challenging it in D.C. federal district court moves forward. 

Staff Sergeant Bade and Master Sergeant Ireland have been pulled from key deployments and placed on administrative absence against their will because of the ban. Amid increasingly unpredictable directives from the Department of Defense and the Air Force, both Plaintiffs sought urgent and immediate relief from the New Jersey federal district court to prevent imminent involuntary separation proceedings. 

Staff Sergeant Bade and Master Sergeant Ireland are represented in their case, Ireland v. Hegseth, by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law); the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR); Stapleton Segal Cochran; and Langer Grogan & Diver. GLAD Law and NCLR are also leading the challenge to the transgender military ban in the D.C. federal district court case Talbott v. Trump. That court granted a preliminary injunction March 18 barring the Department of Defense from implementing the ban, finding that it discriminates based on sex and transgender status; that it is “soaked in animus;” and that, due to the Government’s failure to present any evidence supporting the ban, it is “highly unlikely” to survive any level of judicial review. 

Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights at GLAD Law, said: “Staff Sergeant Nicholas Bear Bade and Master Sergeant Logan Ireland are extraordinary Airmen who imminently faced being ripped out of military careers to which they have dedicated their lives due to the transgender military ban. We are relieved that the court intervened today to ensure Staff Sergeant Bade and Master Sergeant Ireland do not face further devastating damage to their reputations and military careers or the very real prospect of involuntary separation from the military they’ve faithfully served while the challenge to the ban moves forward in the D.C. federal district court. Staff Sergeant Bade and Master Sergeant Ireland had both already fallen victim to this administration’s aggressive implementation of the ban, being yanked from key deployments and forced onto administrative absence against their will. These Airmen have risked everything to protect American freedoms—they deserve better than becoming the targets of a calculated, political purge.” 

John Stapleton of Stapleton Segal Cochran and John Grogan of Langer Grogan & Diver said: “Like the thousands of other transgender service members in the military, Master Sergeant Ireland and Staff Sergeant Bade have achieved everything in their military careers on merit and merit alone. They are highly decorated, and they have dedicated their lives to protecting all of us. America deserves to hear their stories. When we move beyond the games of political football and look at the cold hard facts, the transgender military ban is an unconstitutional abuse of power that denigrates military heroes and makes America less safe.” 

About the Plaintiffs

Staff Sergeant Nicholas Bear Bade
Staff Sergeant Nicholas Bear Bade has served with distinction in the U.S. Air Force for Six Years. He has risen in the ranks from Airman First Class (A1C) to Senior Airman (E4) and, following testing, was chosen for the highly selective E5 promotion. Following the ban, Staff Sergeant Bade was forced to return early from deployment to Kuwait, where he was a member of the base’s Security Forces, and placed on administrative absence.

Staff Sergeant Bade issued the following statement:
“I was inspired by my grandfather’s World War Two service and felt called to defend American freedom and democracy. For six years, I’ve strived to embody what Americans expect from their military: expertise, character, and leadership. Now, I’ve been prevented from serving the troops I mentor and the nation I’ve committed my life to protect—all while living by the Airman’s Creed that I will never falter, and I will not fail.” 

Master Sergeant Logan Ireland
Master Sergeant Logan Ireland has served with distinction in the United States Air Force for over fourteen years. He is currently stationed in Hawaii as Flight Chief in the Office of Special Investigations. Following the ban, Master Sergeant Ireland was told to leave a Temporary Duty assignment where he was attending a multiweek training and forced to go on administrative absence. 

Master Sergeant Ireland issued the following statement:
“As a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer leading a zero-fail mission set in the Indo-Pacific theater, I leverage the training and experience gained throughout my military career to serve with focused lethality and honor—qualities that have nothing to do with the fact that I am transgender. I’ve served multiple tours in Afghanistan, Qatar, South Korea, and the UAE, consistently exceeding standards and earning accolades based solely on merit. Thousands of transgender service members like me fill critical roles requiring years of specialized training. Removing us creates dangerous operational gaps across every theater. My team in the Indo-Pacific wants their leader back—the one who wears the same uniform and swore the same oath as they did.”

Learn more about Ireland v. Hegseth.