Judge rules US military can’t discharge HIV-positive troops

By DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal judge in Virginia has issued a ruling prohibiting the U.S. military from discharging HIV-positive service members or refusing to allow them to become officers. Advocates say it’s one of the strongest rulings in years for people living with HIV. The cases involved two service members who the Air Force attempted to discharge, as well as a sergeant in the D.C. Army National Guard who was denied a position in the Judge Advocate General Corps. The new ruling bars the military from taking those actions against the plaintiffs and any other asymptomatic HIV-positive service member who is classified as ineligible for worldwide deployment due to their HIV-positive status.