Story highlights One writer British, one American. Both are transgender and served in Afghanistan

Flight Lt. Caroline Paige served in Royal Air Force, receiving many commendations

U.S. Navy Officer Landon Wilson discharged when military found he was transgender

Caroline Paige is a flight lieutenant in the British Royal Air Force. Landon Wilson was a petty officer in the U.S. Navy. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers and do not reflect the position of any government or military agency.

(CNN) One of us is British and the other American. But we have many important things in common. Both of us are in the military and were deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. We're both proud to serve and fight for our countries -- and both of us have served successfully. But when our military colleagues found out that we are transgender, our careers took different paths. Here are our stories:

Caroline Paige

British Royal Air Force Flight Lt. Caroline Paige: As a flight lieutenant, I serve as a navigator flying Merlin Battlefield Helicopters with the British Royal Air Force. The role of my squadron is to support the Army: from inserting assault troops, to resupply of austere bases, to escorting road convoys to casualty evacuation, and many other tasks. I am proud of the role my country plays in trying to stem the flow of global terrorism. I am proud of the military and the people who risk their lives -- in Britain and elsewhere around the world -- to do this and I am proud of my own military service.

I am also a transgender woman; I have known this all my conscious life, but my military didn't know until I told them after 18 years of service to the Air Force. Because of my country's inclusive military policy, I was allowed to remain in the RAF and became the first transgender officer to serve openly in the UK military, and I have done so proudly for 16 years.

It wasn't easy at first, because people fear what they don't know. I set out to prove them wrong by ensuring there was no difference in my capabilities or who I was in my job. When my aircraft first deployed to Iraq in 2005, and then again to Afghanistan in 2009, I made sure I was there. As the squadron's lead tactician and defensive aids expert, I had to lead from the front to ensure the safety of our UK soldiers and our allies.

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