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For years, Staff Sgt. Ashleigh Buch hid the fact that she was transgender — a situation that, until last summer, was not allowed under U.S. military rules.

A Department of Defense policy was finalized in June 2016 that allowed transgender service members to serve openly.

Now her years of appearing male at work while living as a woman at home are over.

In October, Buch switched her gender from “male” to “female” in the Air Force’s system, the first at Offutt Air Force base to transition under the new policy.

Buch now hopes her experience can be used to help other transgender service members.