On Friday, November 18, Lance Cpl. Aaron Wixson had  admitted to being transgender. Born female, the marine had admitted to being transgender. he wore female Dress Blues to the gala at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. But next year, Wixson hopes to trade in the female uniform for the iconic Dress Blues worn by men.

“I will feel that I am finally seen as who I really am,” Wixson told CNN, going public for the first time with his gender transition, which is ongoing. “I will be 100 times more comfortable, physically and mentally — which will allow me to really enjoy the ball.”

He’s getting closer to his goal thanks to the new military policy that allows transgender people to serve openly. The 20-year-old field artillery radar operator is one of the first transgender Marines to be formally recognized by his command as a man.

The policy, put in place after the Pentagon lifted the ban a few months earlier on transgender people serving, sets guidelines for troops who are transitioning to access healthcare. After Wixson completes his treatment plan, his name and gender will change in the Department of Defense database, and he can start dressing like a man and using male facilities.

Wixson enlisted in 2014, when he was still living as a woman. After already completing the entrance exam as female, Wixson had then admitted his case after the transgender ban. This created specialists to study how many transgender were enlisted in the military. This study shown that between between 1,320 and 6,630 were in.