re: #358 unreconstructed rebel

I wonder why it is that folks who have never served & ain’t ever gonna serve feel like they need to weigh in on this one?

I did serve and commanded a company which I am pretty sure had a gay specialist in it. It was before don’t ask don’t tell.

That specialist was a damned fine troop - he was a cut above and could be relied on to do anything without complaint. Top brought the whole issue up with me - no one had any idea - he had been seen outside a gay bar in his hometown by a buck sergeant from his platoon. We decided to keep it quiet. Later I told my commander over a beer (the guy had moved on) and he said he’d handled similar situations the same way.

Before don’t ask don’t tell the policy was actually don’t ask don’t tell. You had a few witch hunts here and there but most senior enlisted and officers didn’t really give a shit (or were kept ignorant if someone thought they would give a shit). Most guys “coming out” to their commanders simply wanted out of the military and that was their ticket.

It would be nice to go back to that status quo, but it will never happen. Now being gay is as much a political statement as it is a sexual matter and don’t ask don’t tell is used that way. This country has patriotic citizens who want to serve who are gay and should serve just as they have in the past.