Woman forced out of Army in basic training wants to try again as a man

A man who enlisted into -and washed out of- the US Military as a woman several years ago is training to make a comeback- this time looking to re-enlist in the Army as a man.

21-year-old Florida resident Logan Downs originally entered into the military three years ago under the name Christine, but was forced to wash out due to knee injuries, according to Military Times.

Wishing to go back in after her hormone-based female-to-male transition, Logan was forced to wait until Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter repealed the ban on transgender troops before he could re-enlist for another try.

“It was exciting hearing the ban had been lifted, not just for me but for current service members and the countless transgender people who want to enlist in the future,” Downs said. “There are so many people who’ve wanted to serve but could not previously because they were barred just because they are a transgender individual.”

Due to the Army’s current inability to properly process transgender troops at this time, Downs has yet to see a recruiter.

Defense Department spokesman Eric Pahon, said that officials will be required to begin forcewide training soon, and must be ready to admit transgender recruits no later than July 1st of next year, while still “holding them to the same physical and mental fitness standards as everyone else who wants to join the military.”

Downs currently intends to be physically ready for military service by next year. Currently, he carries out extensive cardio, strength training and yoga.

Downs, who was medically separated in 2013, was devastated when he had to leave the military. Since then, fiancee Samantha Mathias says that There’s a part of him that one hundred percent feels it’s his civic duty to be a part of the Army.”

“I feel,” Downs said, “like every able-bodied person in the United States should serve in the military. I’m going to do my job, and I’m going to do it as well as I can. I’m going to be just like everyone else.”

Downs began his transition from female to male in 2014, after he no longer felt that being a woman suited him. Despite having won homecoming court in highschool, Downs now has a very masculine appearance, thanks to hormones. “if you looked at me on the street, you would not know I was trans, he said.”

On the outskirts of Orlando, Downs currently trains in the summer heat, not far from where the Orlando terror attack took place. Inspired by the attack, he tattooed the “Pulse” club logo on his arm.

One who loves working with his hands, Downs hopes to become a Carpentry and Masonry Specialist.

“I feel I would excel in this position because I love working with my hands and building things,” Downs said. “I want to gain more knowledge about construction, and learning while serving my country sounds like the perfect job for me.”

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