Veterans

[Macey]

It strikes me that a lot of us are veterans.

I'm curious, is there a greater incidence of veterans amongst CDs, TGs and NBs? Is being on the TG spectrum more common among veterans than other demographics? Is it a reaction to the hypermasculine environment of military service? Do those already on the TG spectrum gravitate toward military service in their youth as a type of denial?

Naturally, everyone's experiences are vastly different, but I am curious. What's your story? Is there anything to these questions?

[Teri Ray]

I think you are on to something Macey. I now believe the Navy made me a crossdresser. MMM well maybe not. Dang I guess I still don't know why I am a crossdresser.

[alwayshave]

I was a member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, keeping the Commonwealth safe from invasion by Rhode Island.

[RaeK]

U. S. Air Force 1954-57

[Macey]

Rae, USAF for me too, much later, but still seems like a million years ago! ;)

Jamie, not mentioning my side hobby concerning things that go 'boom', but I'm ready if the red coats ever invade :P

Teri, so which way did you shake out on it?

Ladies, any thoughts on my questions? I have to imagine the answers, if there are any, are complex and nuanced!

[Chloe St Clair]

. . . Do those already on the TG spectrum gravitate toward military service in their youth as a type of denial? . . .

You nailed it for me.

U.S. Navy 1972-1976

[kimdl93]

uncle sam made my decision for me. I did kinda hope that two years of the army had "cured" me. needless to say, it didn't

[Macey]

Kim, it didn't 'cure' you because there's nothing wrong with you :P

[NancySue]

USAF...proudly. Cded before, took a three year sabbatical, after...It was a
Waiting for me when I was discharged, so I took up where I left off and started all over. Yes, I missed it during the military years, but there was no choice. Been making up for it ever since. 👗👠

[susie evans]

US army 1965 to 1967 infantry

[Sherrii]

U.S. Navy 68-71 active. Sherrii

[Patience]

is the percentage of homosexual veterans higher than the percentage of homosexuals relative to the general population? Is the percentage of left-handed people higher? What about countries where military service is mandatory (like the now discontinued national service in the UK)?

If there’s any connection there, it’s probably a strictly American phenomenon. Most other countries don’t have the same militaristic fetish. Well, not the democratic ones, anyway.

[Macey]

Patience, interesting thoughts, but I've seen a lot of UK folks that are veterans here on the boards, at least one of whom (can't remember who!) mentioned military service and how it affected or was affected by CDing, so it does make me curious.

Being left-handed, and having served not long before DADT in the US, I am curious about your other questions as well, but those are probably different topics altogether ;)

[Jennaristow]

US Navy submarine vetran. (Bubblehead) from 1987-1991. I did CD some while in. Not often though.

[Sidney]

1968 thru 1988, active duty US Army.! I dont think the Army had any influence one way or the other with me. Sidney I suppose was always there but didnt start to surface until 2007, twenty years after I retired from the Army and my wife and I sold the business we owned in 2008. I do know now that I had a feminine side from an early age but suppressed it to be the man I was.

[SherriePall]

Marine Reserves and Army National Guard. That's all I'm going to say.

[JaclynL61]

US Army here. I don't think that one caused the other. Just taking another step in growing up.

[Helen Waite]

I had dabbled before joining, but signed up mainly to escape my hometown. Dressed a bit during 21 year AF career and beyond. Last 4-5 years have been able to do more. Counseling helped spouse transition from search & destroy rage to DADT.

[Teresa]

Macey,
The only influence that may have impacted on me was my father was in the Royal Navy when I was conceived , otherwise I don't really believe there is a connection . We are either born with the trait or not .

There was no external influence on me at the age of 8-9 when I started . If you're suggesting suppression and denial had an influence , I can't answer for certain .

[Joni Thomas]

I served Vietnam Era 72-75 US Army Military Police.

[Stephanie47]

Just in case you are not aware of it March 29th has now and forever been designated as "National Vietnam War Veterans Day." The acknowledgement is to all veterans who served during that time. Not just those who were in theater. That being said;

I volunteered for the draft after I graduated college. My brother was one year older than I. He had graduated college six months before me after a 4 1/2 year program. Our father was deceased. My brother had a "support deferment." The draft board told us that one of us was going, so choose. Since I did not yet have a job rather than wait to be drafted, I volunteered for the draft. I chose that way rather than enlisting because the draft was for two years and the minimum enlistment at that time was three years for the army. Well, I did not expect to end up in the infantry. But, that was where I ended up. Later I found out how the army decided who was going where. Then it made sense. Anyway, I served in 1970 in I Corp which is the northern most part of South Vietnam. I was wounded twice. The second time it was a booby trap which did me in. I was evacuated to the Japan and then to the states.

I was dabbling in my mother's lingerie draw in my youth. I outgrew the urges before getting drafted. Maybe because I outgrew her sizes. While in the army, and, especially in the infantry I had no thoughts of wearing women's clothing. If, as my PTSD counselor believes, each person has some dna of the opposite sex and in some people it is stronger than others, my male dna and hormones were raging. I can attest when the need arises man's basic sense of self preservation arises. You do end up developing long suppressed animal senses and reactions. That did not include thoughts of wearing nylon slips.

I did have fleeting thoughts concerning my youthful dabbling in my mother's lingerie after I met my future wife while still in the army, stateside. I dismissed it as nothing because it was so long ago. Why didn't these thoughts remain suppressed? Unfortunately, the physical pain of the encounter with the booby trap has and will remain with me until I die. So does the PTSD over that incident and others. I found returning to wearing women's clothing as a mechanism to seek relief. Wearing women's clothing sort of brings out the Stephanie within me. She provides relief from PTSD. I think it has reached a point where she and her brother have blended together.

Summary. I do not believe there is a direct cause and effect between veterans status and cross dressing. The tendency may be suppressed within someone. I have always viewed cross dressing as it relates to combat service as my tool to avoid those things which do arise with PTSD. I hang with a group of Nam vets. Except for me all seem to have self medicated with drugs and alcohol. Due to the circumstances of incurring my injuries I felt I had to honor those who died in my stead. That precluded abusing any substances. Cross dressing still is my drug of choice.

[CarlaWestin]

All of my true heroes are veterans.

[Macey]

Stephanie, thank you for your detailed answer and thank you for your service!

[Beverley Sims]

It sounds like an interesting theory to me.

[Jenny22]

Navy, 2 years, mid-50s. I hoped and thought being a 'man' in the service would cure me of CDing. It didn't.

[Macey]

Jenny, you don't need a 'cure' because there's nothing 'wrong' with you! :)

[kayegirl]

Macey, not sure how many UK, veterans are members on this site, but I am young enough at 69, not to have served national service. Although in my teenage years I did spend a month at an army apprentice college one weekend. Yes that's what it felt like, hated every last minute of it. So as far as I am concerned there is no correlation.

[Georgia_Maine]

Crossdressed 10 years before I enlisted (Viet Nam Vet). CD and service weren't related. I was a mercenary. I enlisted for the GI Bill education benefits: max 36 months of benefits for 36 months service. Just my luck, 2 months later they changed it to 18 months service for 36 months benefits:Angry3:. Enlisted at 19, squad leader and an E5 at 20. Offered E6 or OCS after 3 years if I'd reenlist. As I told my company commander - "thought about it, laughed about it, forgot about it".

[Shely]

Me too, Army and AF. But I think it's just because there are so many veterans from those years gone by!

[Allison Chaynes]

Army 2001-2013. And no, I don't think it had any influence for me.

[RADER]

U.S.Navy SeaBees Vietnam 67 to 69. 15 months in country.
Rader

[Ozark]

1971 - 1973 I worked for my Uncle and lived in Germany. I worked in a hospital there and, while I didn't under dress, I was hooked on german underwear, quite the variety.

I was in a German department store looking at men's underwear display when a German lady came up to me and asked "Sex? Sex?" I got so embarrassed, one that the woman picked up on my 'interest' in underwear and two that she was asking me for sex. I stammered something and quickly left the area.

I later realized that she was asking/telling me my size..... six which is Sex in Germany. LOL.

[Jenn A116]

No, I don't believe there is any correlation between military service and my CDing. I was a CD'er before I got drafted (Army - 1 year in Nam) and remain one since.

[Tracii G]

How did I miss this thread ?
I was going to make a post about March 29th being a Vietnam veterans thing but figured it would get deleted.
I think Vietnam vets deserve recognition and I salute all that served there.

[Lana Mae]

I joined the USAF in 1970 to avoid the draft! It had no connection with CDing! I served my 4 years and got out! Hugs Lana Mae

[VtVicky]

USAF 64 to 86. Played around with lingerie as a fetish before enlisting. Very little opportunity or desire for 1st 10 years. But, when I finally got a commission I had my own room. And made my first real purchase. God bless the Sears Catalog. Much more involved after I retired. All in the closet until I met my second wife. She had a great attitude...bought me lingerie, and played along. After the divorce, I got much more into it. (god bless the internet.) Then last year, my first real public experience at the Rainbow Resort CD/TG weekend. And now I am planning more and being much more experimental. If anything, the military environment and lack of privacy, slowed me down for a long time.

[Teri Ray]

Although I still do not know what caused me to have this dressing desire, I did spend 30 years in the Navy half riding submarines the other half fixing them.

[Heather Anne]

U.S. Air Force 20 years 1968-1988

[jayme357]

Although I spent 26 years in the the service primarily in Special Ops I began dressing at age six. No way there is a correlation. I just have always loved being pretty.

[Ceera]

I volunteered to enlist in the US Navy right after the Vietnam war ended. Mostly to get money for college, but also to do what was expected of me as my father’s son. He had served in the Navy in both WW2 and Korea.

At 17, I already knew I was bi, but was heavily repressing even thinking about that part of me, even in my teens. I scored well on the entrance exams, and got promised computer training and an E-4 rank on completion of that training. They flew me off to boot camp a month after my 18th birthday. I served honorably, but got out early, because I couldn’t stand living in close quarters with lots of men. I realize now, decades later, that the feminine part of me, which I was repressing, was strenuously objecting to the circumstances.

I think we see a lot of Veterans because of compulsory military service. Many of us are older, and were draft bait in our youth, at times when many had no choice but to serve. Others, like me, may well have tried to ‘hide’ in a macho occupation, even if we were not yet openly cross dressing or queer. But I do not think a past history of military service contributed to most of us being as we are.

[Katherine L.]

Spent 20 years in the Army, 1981-2001. Don’t think it directly affected my crossdressing either way.

[mbmeen12]

Do those already on the TG spectrum gravitate toward military service in their youth as a type of denial?

It is my opinion, dressing while being young is like playing army when we were children. Could it be for some to overcompensate? Yes in my opinion, other than folks being drafted.

Oh 33 years time in service for me and yes Vietnam veterans deserve recognition/special day because of how they were treated when coming back home.

[SaraLin]

left handed.
Blonde is my natural hair color.
Blue eyes.
CD/trans/something (depends on who is doing the defining..)

Army 72-76. I was NOT a good fit in the military and got the heck out as soon as I could gracefully (honorably) do so.
For me, the reasons I joined was to avoid the risk of being drafted into cannon fodder - and to hopefully get some career training that a kid from poverty couldn't afford.
I don't think there was any connection (for me) to my T-ness and my serving in the military.

[Sabrina133]

US Army here. Armor/CAV. For me, it was in my blood. I come from a military family -Father, a couple of uncles, 2 grandfathers. You could say it was the family business. I dressed before i went to college, didn't in college, started again after i graduated.

[Charona]

Twenty years USAF, overlapping the Vietnam conflict. Started experimenting with women's clothing perhaps fifteen years in, at a time when being discovered would have probably gotten me discharged. I don't believe the military caused my cross-dressing, but it probably made it riskier. I think a good part of cross-dressing was curiosity about how women's clothing would feel.

[MarinaTwelve200]

A lot of the non-homosexual, And Non- Transsexual Cross- Dressing is prevalent in "Males who wear UNIFORMS"---Like soldiers, Policemen, Mailmen, etc. In many cases this cross-dressing, is either a conscious or subconscious desire to "Escape" the pressures of "manhood", if only for a little while, and release the stress. As most UNIFORM wearing men often represent a "Male" Stereotype or "image" that one often feels must be "maintained".----Such people find that wearing Female clothing serves to "release the stress" and feel the need to do so ever so often (whether they consciously think so or not)------I too am an "escapist", although I do not wear a uniform. I find CD lets me "escape" (or take a vacation from) both MYSELF AND my "obligations to masculinity"----I can ENTIRELY relax and "unwind". And it can also be a sexual release and "feel good to be pretty" in addition to the primary benefit.---------

I think most of us discovered this at a younger age when we had some opportunity to dress in women's clothing out of curiosity, disguise, etc.----And later on began to use it regularly to release stress of "manhood".-----Of course, ignorance and needless worry about Homosexuality or TG complicate things, until one finally discovers what is really going on, and can be happy with it.

[ambigendrous]

Let's see: got drafted in 1971 and volunteered for Airborne while in Basic Training - spent my time in the US, as a machine gunner - pretty macho stuff! But I have been CD for my entire life - well, my first memory is from when I was about 6 or 7 so pretty much my entire life.

[Dani0948]

US Army 1968 - 1970. Went in to avoid the draft. Spent my time in Europe. Got out early to go to college. Have been CDing since age 9 or 10, so I don't think military had anything to do with it for me. I actually CD'd a few times while in the service.

[lisa11422]

For me it wasn't just a job...it was an adventure...

Navy 85-92

Although I dabbled in CD'ing prior to enlisting, I didn't do any during my Service and it wasn't a proving of my manhood thing.

I really wanted an adventure and damn glad I did it, it truly was for me.

My CD'ing didn't really kick in till later in life so I don't see any correlation, but happy to see alot of my veteran brothers? (sisters? I don't know, I'm sure somewhere my senior chief is shaking his head and saying wtf bklyn we over the line already, for those of us who are shellbacks u understand)

[Sheren Kelly]

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) uses the statistic that trans people are 2x as likely to serve in the military compared to the general population (at least in the USA). You can theorize many causes for this and I think it will be interesting to see the if changes in demographics and social acceptance influence this in the years to come.

For the "Boomer" generation, I believe many MTFs entered the military or other male dominated ("macho") professions to compensate for our inner feelings of femininity. Our FTM brothers may have entered military service as it was a profession more likely to fulfill their needs for affirmation in a profession generally considered masculine. Once the USA moved to an all-volunteer force, the emphasis moved to retaining qualified people in the ranks, leading to the end of the DADT policy and open trans service.

I expect the current Trans ban will be eliminated in the next administration. There are an estimated 15000 active duty trans people serving honorably now, it may be impossible to erase their contribution to national defense, and as these qualified Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines go out the door, who is going to replace them? Recruitment has been falling short of goals in the past few years.

[Macey]

Sheren, now that is an interesting statistic, thank you. I also wonder what the future will bring with changing social attitudes

[bronwyneve]

10 Years Australian Regular Army from 1993. Dressed beforehand and in secret while serving. I find that I use dressing as a coping mechanism.

[JessicasRabbit]

USMC 1995-2003
I didn't CD until a few years after my active duty time.

[alice one day]

6 years British Paras in the 70's. CD as a kid, tried to purge while I service always felt bad. Been doing it since.

[Buse]

when i was been in arm soldier . i had little problems. i hv'nt got maskular body form . therefore they observed to me all of time :cheer:

[Meeshell]

I joined the U.S. Army in 1986, stayed active until 1991, for education and employment mainly. My desire to crossdress manifest itself around 11 or 12 years old. I wanted to be a soldier since I was like 5 years old (or at least as near as I can remember). As far as I can tell there was no correlation between the two. I've always been pretty confortable with my "manhood" weather in pants or a skirt, so maybe unlike some, I don't think there was any "compensation" motivation. My crossdressing has always been a pretty private thing, and yes I did dress privately while in the military. Anyway, that's how I see it.

Thank you all for your service, whether during war or peacetime, I and my family are truly grateful to all of you.

MeeShell

[JaniceP]

ARMY --US54834710------------IN COUNTRY JAN.20 1969-------------11Bravo----------Tigerland, North Fort Polk La. Sept. 1968---December 1968

[never liked karen]

I read in a book (long before internet) from a gg that all crossdressers she ever met were or are in the military. Count me in

[Julie MA]

USAF 1985-2005. Hid as much of my femininity, bisexuality, and transgender nature as I could, from myself and everyone else. Was attracted to military for lots of reasons, none of which I can connect to my, 10 years later, accepted nature.

[Tammy Lynn Tx]

First point here... each and every one of us is different but the same. ( confused ? so am I )
Been crossdressing since 5 or 6. I was my sisters play sister. Quit for years after she passed away. Started again when my two brothers left home.
Discovered girls and boys, prefer the girls. Six years in the Navy as a cannon cocker, General discharge after being outed by First ex. She knew from before we were married. Second ex also knew from before marriage, to long a story for here.
Ex deputy sheriff, been a long haul truck driver for over 40 years.
Growing up always tried to be macho in everything I do. It took me meeting my wife, yes I told her the night we met, to really begin to accept myself. I have come to realize I have some feminine tendacies but actually am just a guy in a dress. I don't go out and don't want to. My wife is supportive and very helpful.

[JoanneNY]

Aside from the normal raging hormones as a teen, i didn't know about dressing. I joined the Navy at 19 and did a four year stint in the pacific from 57 to 61. My pink fog set in after I married and has been here ever since. The Service played no part in my little world but I saw some sad endings for a few who went a bit too far while in.

[Cristy2]

Usaf 1987 - 2010

[NitaCD]

US Air Force 1970-1974. Crossdressed before, during, and after. Just a nice part of me that has always been there...and I expect it always will.

[Crissy 107]

What a great thread! I was never in the military but wish I had been. Thank you to all who served!

[Kathleen Anne]

74 - 80 us Navy submariner , rotten Groton and pearl harbor .................. Dressed while I was in , being a van owner good place to hide clothes .......

[Joanne108]

I am a Navy veteran, I crossdressed long before I joined in the 80s. I'm not sure there is any correlation between serving and crossdressing.

[LindaC]

USNR 66-75, active duty from 68-70. Quit dressing for a few years.

[Darla L]

What a great thread! I was never in the military but wish I had been. Thank you to all who served!

Same here. I tried to join in the 80’s, but had a GED because I was homeschooled. Peace time Marines didn’t want anyone with a GED. I had passed the ASVAB easily, but no dice. I have nothing but the greatest respect and gratefulness for all who have served our country. Thank You!

As a side note, my curiosity has been more along the lines of how many of us are there with a more typically masculine job, or strong masculine expectations placed upon us even from childhood? I know I started experimenting with girly things at a very young age, and I was the oldest. My younger sister and I have always been very close, but I can remember wishing I was a girl when I was very young (5-6?) because I recognized the difference in how we were treated. I love being a man, and considered a “man’s man” amongst my peers, but I also love this feminine side that I learned to accept and embrace.

[missmars]

In countries that use conscription systems, most trans women do not want to do military service.

[Sissy_Michelle]

Macey,

Some. For me I knew the older I got if I had stayed home the more I would investigate or question my crossdressing. I really needed a job, I had nowhere else to go really. I just had to keep my little secret. So I boxed up all my emotions and clothes put them far from my mind and new lifestyle so I could keep my job. And I survived 25 years.

Now that I am retired, and can explore more those feelings I have reached out and started to ask friends that knew my past, that knew what and who I was when I was Active Duty. It hasn’t been easy, for me and I have found that my softer side the side that has been boxed up for so long wants to assert itself more and more...

This trail is long, and full of obstacles and I am trying. I have a good compass and my map is current. So I guess we’ll see where it leads.

@—}——-
Michelle

US Army 1985 - 2009

[Macey]

Miss Mars, thank you for resurrecting this thread! I'm interested to hear about South Korea, CD and Trans acceptance there, conscription and military service, etc. I love learning about other places and other perspectives :)

Michelle, thank you for serving. If anyone in the states, you and all of the other vets have earned the right to live how you darn well choose. Keep exploring, you're worth it!

Darla, sorry I'm getting to your comment late! Interesting how the military standards shape over the years in times of peace and times of war and through the decades. My father came up hard. Hadn't been to high school a day in his life. He signed up the day the Korean war broke out, but being underage, they needed his father's signature, which he provided (forged, father dead for a decade, they didn't check this stuff out too carefully then). He got his GED while in the service during the war. He went on to double major at NYU. In the late 80's a friend of mine was given the choice by the judge (conversation between the judge and my friend's father), sentence or Marines. In those days 'jail or military' was still a 'thing', but not on an official level. When I joined during the first gulf war, much like with you, they weren't too interested in those who hadn't finished high school. This was still before the DADT policy as well, so they also tried hard to weed out homosexuals and also drug offenders.

[Stephanie47]

With reference to military service during war time I encountered the Vietnam War experience. The marines and army were not choosy who they took. Essentially, each needed bodies to replace other bodies. I knew of many GI's who did not even possess a GED. Some did not even speak English. I remember a non English speaking kid from Puerto Rico who was paired with another who translated for him. I had no idea how he functioned in the Nam. There were guys who declared themselves to be gay under the premise they would not be drafted. Drafted anyway. Locally (Fort Lewis) there was a famous case of a career military guy who was discharged for being gay just before retirement. He had declared his gayness when he was drafted. The army did not care during the Nam period, but, some officer decided twenty years later to make an issue of it. The GI won his court case and was reinstated. In my squad there was a kid from the backwoods of KY who was given the choice of jail or the army. Took the army and survived. The way it worked for conscription during the Nam was each draft board which was run by civilians of the community were given a quota of bodies to meet. If there were many guys in the area the board took single guys. Otherwise, the boards dipped down into married, then married with kids. There were at least two KIA's in my company who were married with kids. One had two kids, one of which he never saw. I never encountered anyone in Nam who seemed to have joined up to be a macho guy. Maybe there were macho guys, but, combat beats that notion out of you real quick. Most of the guys were farm community/small town boys or big city kids, all of whom were of lower economic classes who were either drafted or enlisted. Personally, I never encountered anyone who was gay or a practicing cross dresser in a combat unit. You put your efforts into returning home alive and not maimed. I suppose stateside, if you had the opportunity to go off base, you could do whatever you wanted on your free time. When I was in the barracks life did not lend itself to any intimate encounters...forty to fifty men in an open bay barracks. With what I see locally (Fort Lewis) army life is a lot different now.

[Dana3]

U.S.M.C. 1975 ~ 1995 (Retired)

[Lea]

I have dressed as long as I can remember.

My parents came to me and said we are not helping you with college. If you want to go you have to find one and you have to pay for it. They also said that once I turned 18 I was either paying rent or I was out of the house. I chose the military.

Joined the Army in 1978 and served till 1981. One day in the laundry room I noticed clothing stuck behind some pipes. I pulled it out and it was a skirt. We had no women in our unit so there may have been another crossdresser in the unit. When my roommate went on leave I would wear the skirt.

Started college while in the Army finished after I got out.

[Amy Lynn3]

From the day my mind starting recording I was a crossdresser, so my time in the Army, between 1965 - 1967 did nothing to start my dressing. It just slowed down for the years I served.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Macey :hugs:, In 1963 I spent three hours in the army at the draft center a Ft.Holabird in Baltimore MD.
they said that thy weren't taking fat boys this year


When I graduated I was over 300lbs @6'1"and over the next two years I got down to 200lbs
and now I am still there @203/5'11" last count.


I would like to thank all of those that served their countries. >Orchid

[AmandaM]

Marine 0311, late 70's. Been Cding since I was 5 years old.

[Michellebej]

My understanding, and it makes a lot of sense, is that when the young CD is in the denial stage; it is very common to gravitate towards more masculine fields. The literature that I have seen shows a greater percentage of CD's in the Military, firefighters, police and professional sports.

[larissa-laurie]

US Army for 28 years and I dressed in ladies clothes quite a bit and totally enjoyed it.

[Robin-in-TX]

U.S. Army for 24 years, 14 enlisted, 81-95 and 10 as an officer, 2006-2017.

[Ozark]

Did I ever tell you how my typing teacher kept me out of Viet Nam? When I was a senior in high school, I had two study halls scheduled back to back. Asst Principal who was also typing teacher said no go and he put me in his typing class. This was 1967. Flash forward two years, I'm on the tarmac all set to go when the first sgt yells "Anybody here know how to type?" I raised my hand and the rest, as we say, is history. USA 91A but turned into a clerk typist this was pre computers.

I had dabbled in panties in high school but none in college or basic or AIT until I got sent to Germany. I was amazed at all the different styles of men's underwear and colors. I was used to boxers and fruit of the loom.

So here I am in a German department store looking over the men's underwear selection when a woman comes up to me and says, "Sex?" I think I said "Huh?" Because she again said "Sex. Sex." and picked up a package of nylon briefs.

I turned and quickly left the store. I was telling this to my room mate (not the part about wearing panties) and he started laughing and said she was probably a sales lady and thought I needed help in sizing. "Sex" is German for "Six" which she figured was teh size underwear I needed. (She was right).

[rhoda]

I was both at a British boarding school and required to join the army cadets. Rejection of how incredibly badly both were run is part of the reason for what I am now.

[Allison Chaynes]

I see no correlation with CDing and my Army service, personally. There are many facets to who I am and those are different parts of those manifestations.

I will say I had one trans soldier and one closet CD, which I discovered during a barracks inspection. Made no difference to me, obviously.

[VtVicky]

I enlisted in the USAF in 1964. In basic training we were told to box up most of our civilian clothes and send them home. It wasn't until decades later, after I had retired, that someone at home asked me what the story was about the women's clothes that were packed in with my civilian clothes. While I had played with my mom's lingerie when I was little, actually crossdressing never occurred to me. Of course by the time I was confronted, I had been playing around with it for some time. Totally in the closet...or what ever passed for the closet in the military. I recalled that there was a small group of guys from Louisiana that were openly gay. Two of them claimed that sleeping in the same bunk meant that they only had to make one bunk in the morning. That group did not last very long. To this day, I wonder if one of them had slipped the stuff into my box of stuff when I wasn't looking. Apparently my mom got rid of it pretty quickly. And no one bothered to bring it up at the time. I always wondered what it was exactly that they sent.

And, what my family thought all those years.

[MadiCD]

I was in the navy. While you're definitely right about the "hypermasculine" part, and I definitely started dressing a lot more after I got out, I also occasionally did it before and during my service. Although never fully dressed in public, and never even underdressed if I was going to the ship.

[Patty]

1966 thur 1970 Air Force

[Bobbi Lynn]

U S Navy July 1961-April 1968. Spent almost two years bouncing around in THE Gulf of Tonkin. Right after boot camp the ship I was on did make a NATO cruise.

[TamaraF]

USAF 2014-2018

I started dressing when I was maybe 10 and enlisted at 21 after flunking out of college. I did hope that the military would make me stop dressing but it didn’t really work. Maybe 3 months after basic training I had started assembling an entirely new girls wardrobe. I continued this through my entire enlistment and frequently wore panties and bras under my uniform and even a pair of female trousers on duty. My actual preferred “socks” for my blues was either stockings with a garter belt or pantyhose lol! Bra, panties, and trousers were completely unnoticeable in ABUs though, so it’s not like I had much risk ever.

[Macey]

Tamara, is this your first post? Good to hear from you! And thank you for serving!

[Carroll]

I was dressing before the military. Joined the USAF in 83 just because I hated school and didn't want to go to another school. I snuck in dressing during my 9 years.

[cdinmd206]

I never fully dressed until my later years but I have loved wearing lingerie ever since I can remember. So I was definitely into panties, bras, garter belt and stockings when I went into the army in 1971. Spent my time in Germany and wow did they have some sexy lingerie in their stores.

[Brianne]

US Navy 1971 to 1975. I joined the Navy because of all the movies. All the stars in bell bottoms could tap dance. I assumed I would too.

[Ginni]

I was cross dressing before going a the Army, while I was in and after. The service had nothing to do with it. It is who I am.