The U.S. Army’s Military Equal Opportunity program protects soldiers and their families against discrimination on six grounds: race, color, sex (including gender identity), national origin, religion, and sexual orientation. These are the Army EO protected categories set out in Chapter 6 of Army Regulation 600-20.1U.S. Army. AR 600-20, Chapter 6 — Military Equal Opportunity Policy and Program
The Six Protected Categories
- Race
- Color
- Sex, including gender identity
- National origin
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation was added to the program in October 2015 through Army Directive 2015-39, signed by then-Secretary of the Army John McHugh.2Army Times. Sexual Orientation Added to Equal Opportunity Program for Soldiers Gender identity was later folded into the “sex” category.
The Department of Defense sets the same baseline across the services through DoD Instruction 1350.02. The most recent update, Change 2, took effect March 11, 2026, and aligned the instruction with several 2025 executive orders without altering the list of protected categories.3Department of Defense. DoD Instruction 1350.02 — DoD Military Equal Opportunity Program
What Counts as Discrimination
Under AR 600-20, unlawful discrimination happens when a service member or group is harassed, intimidated, insulted, humiliated, or treated less favorably because of one of the six factors above. The regulation also reaches disparaging terms tied to those categories when they contribute to a hostile work environment.1U.S. Army. AR 600-20, Chapter 6 — Military Equal Opportunity Policy and Program
Sexual Harassment Is a Separate Track
Sexual harassment is not handled through the MEO program. It runs through the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program, governed by AR 600-52, issued in February 2025.4U.S. Army. AR 600-52 — Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Discrimination complaints on the six MEO grounds are filed on DA Form 7279. Sexual harassment complaints go on DA Form 7746 through SHARP channels, where the filer is treated as a victim and supported by Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Victim Advocates.5Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute. National Guard Bureau MEO/SHARP Complaint Process Matrix Sexual harassment is punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Military EO Versus Civilian EEO
The Army runs two anti-discrimination programs side by side. The MEO categories above apply to soldiers and their families. Army civilians, former civilian employees, and applicants for civilian jobs fall under the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program, which uses a broader list.6Stuttgart Citizen. Understanding the Process and Difference Between EEO and EO
The civilian program adds age (40 and older), disability (physical and mental), genetic information, and reprisal for prior protected EEO activity to the categories shared with the military side.7U.S. Army Reserve. Equal Opportunity8Womack Army Medical Center. AR 690-12 — Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action The civilian EEO program also protects sexual orientation and gender identity through EEOC interpretations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you are a soldier, age, disability, genetic information, and retaliation are not covered categories under MEO, even though they are covered on the civilian side. At installations with both populations, federal regulation requires the two programs to be managed separately.9eCFR. 32 CFR Part 191 — DoD Civilian Equal Employment Opportunity Program
Filing a Complaint
You have 180 days from the incident to file. Miss that window and the complaint will not be accepted through MEO channels.5Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute. National Guard Bureau MEO/SHARP Complaint Process Matrix
Two paths are available. An informal complaint is worked through the chain of command, with EO staff advising, and should be resolved within 60 calendar days. A formal complaint is submitted in writing on DA Form 7279 and handled by MEO professionals; investigations for active-duty soldiers should be completed within 14 calendar days, with extensions requiring higher approval. A formal complaint is substantiated when a preponderance of the evidence supports it, meaning the allegation is more likely than not true.1U.S. Army. AR 600-20, Chapter 6 — Military Equal Opportunity Policy and Program Either the complainant or the alleged offender may appeal within 30 days.
Retaliation against anyone who files is separately prohibited, and retaliatory acts can be reported to the Inspector General. Filing a knowingly false complaint is also prohibited and can result in judicial or nonjudicial punishment.
Consequences for a Substantiated Complaint
When a complaint is substantiated, the commander is required to take corrective action. Options range across:
- UCMJ action, including prosecution under Articles 92, 133, or 134, or nonjudicial punishment under Article 15
- Administrative measures such as counseling (the minimum required response), adverse performance evaluations, relief for cause, bar to reenlistment, administrative reduction in rank, reprimand, or discharge
- Rehabilitative transfer to another unit
Where Gender Identity Stands Right Now
AR 600-20 still lists sex “to include gender identity” as a protected MEO category, and the March 2026 update to DoD Instruction 1350.02 left the list unchanged.3Department of Defense. DoD Instruction 1350.02 — DoD Military Equal Opportunity Program The Department of Defense has said its January 2025 directive eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion offices did not affect equal opportunity or sexual harassment prevention policies.10Department of Defense. Task Force Validates Successful DEI Elimination Throughout DoD
A separate January 2025 executive order on transgender service, followed by May 2025 DoD guidance to separate service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria, has complicated the practical picture.11Department of Defense. DoD Issues Implementation Guidance on Separation of Service Members With Gender Dysphoria In June 2026, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled the transgender service ban illegal, finding it was designed to exclude people based on gender identity. That ruling was placed on hold pending potential further review, and the Supreme Court had previously allowed the ban to be enforced during litigation.12Federal News Network. Pentagon Policy Illegally Banned Transgender Troops From Military Service, Appeals Court Panel Rules The category remains on paper; how it is applied continues to move with the litigation.