Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
Once again the subject of gays in the military is raising its ugly head. Young, fit men and women are going to recruiting stations to enlist and making sure that the recruiter knows their sexual preference. It is not something I would have blurted to a recruiter but there is no prohibition against straight men in the military. These young people are ensuring that the recruiter knows they are gay and therefore not eligible to serve in the US Armed Forces. It has been a long standing rule for the military to bar homosexual men and women from serving. Having been in the military, it is a decision I whole heartedly agree with.
The military is not what I would call the usual job. You start you military career by going through basic training. The primary goal of basic training is to indoctrination of the recruits to the military way of life. They break you down and then build you back up in the image of a soldier, sailor, airman or marine. This involves becoming very involved in the lives of those around you because you come to depend on them as part of the training. Now, you are in with a group of young men who eat, sleep, work, play, shower, and a myriad of other activities, together. You have to be able to focus on the task at hand and not be worried about whether one of your fellow troops is scoping out your butt. It makes most men nervous to think that another man is looking at them as objects of affection. In basic you get to handle M16 rifles and other firearms. It could be fatal if someone gets the wrong idea.
Once you get to you permanent duty station, there is a lot of free time. The phrase “hurry up and wait” actually becomes the surrounding culture. With free time comes what all young men like to do drink and carouse. This is the time when most of the don’t ask, don’t tell victims are exposed. They have the freedom to explore their lifestyle and normally get outed by someone in their unit. Since chasing girls is the norm for most young men, having someone that does not causes issues. Morale in the ranks needs to be maintained in the military. The Army is about discipline and following the rules and those that don’t are either encouraged to get on board or removed. You can’t have that aspect of the Army ignored. Without everyone following the rules, order does not last long. If there is some concern about how you are going to respond under pressure, I may not rely on you and that puts my life in danger. It defeats the goal of why we have an Army to begin with. A group following orders and functioning as one unit creates a formidable team. One cog out of step and problems begin.
So, don’t ask, don’t tell works for me. The Army asks that you follow their rules. It does not say that the gay cannot serve. It requires that they refrain from exhibiting their lifestyle while serving their country. That is more demanding than anything I can imagine.
Icool
Cobb
The military is not what I would call the usual job. You start you military career by going through basic training. The primary goal of basic training is to indoctrination of the recruits to the military way of life. They break you down and then build you back up in the image of a soldier, sailor, airman or marine. This involves becoming very involved in the lives of those around you because you come to depend on them as part of the training. Now, you are in with a group of young men who eat, sleep, work, play, shower, and a myriad of other activities, together. You have to be able to focus on the task at hand and not be worried about whether one of your fellow troops is scoping out your butt. It makes most men nervous to think that another man is looking at them as objects of affection. In basic you get to handle M16 rifles and other firearms. It could be fatal if someone gets the wrong idea.
Once you get to you permanent duty station, there is a lot of free time. The phrase “hurry up and wait” actually becomes the surrounding culture. With free time comes what all young men like to do drink and carouse. This is the time when most of the don’t ask, don’t tell victims are exposed. They have the freedom to explore their lifestyle and normally get outed by someone in their unit. Since chasing girls is the norm for most young men, having someone that does not causes issues. Morale in the ranks needs to be maintained in the military. The Army is about discipline and following the rules and those that don’t are either encouraged to get on board or removed. You can’t have that aspect of the Army ignored. Without everyone following the rules, order does not last long. If there is some concern about how you are going to respond under pressure, I may not rely on you and that puts my life in danger. It defeats the goal of why we have an Army to begin with. A group following orders and functioning as one unit creates a formidable team. One cog out of step and problems begin.
So, don’t ask, don’t tell works for me. The Army asks that you follow their rules. It does not say that the gay cannot serve. It requires that they refrain from exhibiting their lifestyle while serving their country. That is more demanding than anything I can imagine.
Icool
Cobb
posted by Cobb at
6:43 AM
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