Clayton McCallister is a 24-year-old husband and father involved in a federal lawsuit against the military's reinstated ban on transgender service. After training for a year and transitioning in 2021, he hopes to serve as a pararescue specialist in the Air Force. The path to this goal has been challenging due to recruitment obstacles related to his gender identity. Despite facing discrimination, McCallister remains committed to achieving his military ambitions in a demanding field characterized by high dropout rates and rigorous training requirements.
McCallister is one of 32 plaintiffs in Talbott v. United States, a federal lawsuit challenging the reinstated ban on military service by transgender people.
McCallister began his transition in 2021, gaining clarity and momentum, leading to married life, an adoption, and a goal of becoming a pararescue specialist.
Special Warfare is among the military's most grueling career fields, with an 80 percent dropout rate, and requires endurance, water survival, and parachuting.
After disclosing he was trans, several recruiters stopped responding, but one eventually agreed to help him start training.
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