Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Discharge During Wartime

For years, the Pentagon has lied and stated that the decrease in gay discharges during wartime is due only to "random fluctuations in the data"; now a handbook from 1999 has surfaced that states exactly what the policy is. See point 21 on page 34 (of 151) of this pdf, which states that if discharge [for homosexual conduct] is not requested prior to the unit's receipt of alert notification, discharge is not authorized. Member will enter AD [active duty] with the unit." (The first link has it backward; I looked at the document itself to get the language.) Request for discharge is not up to the soldier, but to the unit commander; if s/he delays making a request for discharge based on the soldier's sexual orientation, it is apparently just fine with the Pentagon if someone gay goes to war.

Ask. Tell. You're still going to Iraq. There'll be plenty of time to dishonorably discharge you later, if you live.

Hypocrites.

•  Being Gay in Uniform

  It is okay to fight and die for your country, but don't expect to be able to pull a pension, because as soon as this war is over, you are OUTA THERE.

  Fricken' Hypocrites.
  

  by Sychotic1 on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 04:19:47 PM PDT

  •  Has anyone sued for loss of pension?

    I wonder where that stands among the legal grounds for challenging DontAskDontTell.  I know there have been and will be lawsuits; anyone know how this has figured into the arguments?

    by texas dem on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 04:45:54 PM PDT

•  If gay people are a threat to discipline, etc.,

  ...then during wartime is especially when dischuarge should be necessary. Not too logical.

  by daulton on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 05:15:20 PM PDT