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Decorated Navy SEAL comes out as a woman

Chris Beck, now Kristin Beck, from her book 'Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender'
Chris Beck, now Kristin Beck, from her book 'Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender'Read more

To outsiders, Chris Beck appeared to be as macho as a man could get.  Now, the longtime U.S. Navy SEAL and Purple Heart recipient, is announcing that he is Kristin Beck.

Beck's new book, 'Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender,' was released this week.  The book details Beck's past as a male SEAL and present life as a woman.

According to the book, Beck was a high school football player. He started riding a motorcycle when he was 17. Then, he enlisted in the military. Beck served 20 years with 13 deployments. He was deployed in combat seven times and also earned a Bronze Star.

He was, in short, a man's man - with burly beard to boot.

According to the book, Beck, was a member of the elite, counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units, better known as SEAL Team 6. The unit gained famed for the operation that raided Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan and ultimately killed him.

Beck, however, said he kept his true self as hidden as the pantyhose he stashed in his back drawer as a boy. He was a woman waiting to come out.

The book explores Beck's decision to become a woman, starting with a struggle with PTSD, family rejection and societal norms.

"It is about a fight to be free inside one's own body, a fight that requires the strength of a Warrior Princess," states a blurb for the digital book on Amazon.com.

Beck also served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Science & Technology Office. She is now receiving hormone therapy. She plans to undergo sexual reassignment surgery.

Gabriela Gutentag, a publicist for Beck, said her client would not be granting any immediate interviews and could not be reached for comment.

Currently, Beck is a special warfare consultant. You can find her here on Twitter.