Don't get me wrong. Hannah's decision took guts. First to transition. Second to remain in the military. Unfortunately she then allowed herself to be used by the MoD PR machine and the media to bolster their 'TG friendly' credentials whilst taking pictures of a pretty girl.

I will say that the UK Armed Forces have been amazing about dealing with TG issues. Mainly by saying 'What TG issues?'

I've seen stories that make her 'the most senior transgender officer in the Army', 'the first transgender officer in the Army' etc. She is neither. Hannah is just the first who allowed the PR machine to push her into doing the story they have been trying on with all the rest of us for the last five years.

However you won't see a flurry of 'me too' stories.

The rest of us just shut up and soldier on (well we would wouldn't we?) :)

When I was on active duty. Unfortunately, admitting that I suffered from gender disphoria would have only gotten me discharged from the US Navy.

I was lucky enough that even though my Marine security team figured it out, they kept it to themselves. They even took care of me - they watched over me and protected me like the little sister even when we were off the line. There I was, the big, bad OIC of one of the best ANGLICO teams in theater, and my entire security team knew that it was all just a front.

Oh, I did my job - very well I might add - but I had a bad habit of going to pieces whenever we came off the line. Once we were off duty, I would go find a private place and quietly cry my eyes out. I was OK at first - it was all academic. Ballistic trajectories, throw weights, ammo types, asset types and capabilities.......

But then I had to kill a kid. After that, it put a face to every thing I did. I kept doing it, but that's when I started having nightmares - and they got worse when I lost my first team member.

Eventually, the NCOIC of my security team found me bawling my eyes out. He sat up all night holding me, and it just came out - everything about who I really was (and am now trying to be). From then on, I was never allowed to be alone. Those wonderful boys kept me safe and sane. They all knew about me, but they didn't care.

God how I wish I could have transitioned then! But no, the US still can't admit to the reality that LGBT people want to serve their country as well. They can't even admit that we exist.

Dallas