Transgender service members react to repeal of Trump military ban Recruits and enlisted members look forward to serving without fear of being discharged for who they are 2kSHARES Sterling James Crutcher “I always had an inner desire to join the military,” says Sterling James Crutcher, a senior airman in the U.S. Air Force. “For me, it came from personal reasons: my grandfather was in the Army years ago. He passed away shortly before I joined. And he played a big role in my life. “He was the kindest, sweetest man. He would give the s hirt off his back to anyone he saw walking down the street. But he also continued his service within the [Veterans of Foreign Wars]. He continued to be a chaplain for funerals and the VFW all the way up until the day that he passed. His encouragement to do that, the joy he talked about from being able to be of service, really lit a fire in me at a younger age.”