New Policies Regarding DADT
Robert Gates announced changes today to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell which are intended to make it more difficult to discharge service members for violating DADT. From what I can tell, there are two real modifications being made to DADT that are effective today. The first modification mandates that only general officers (brigadier or higher) can initiate an inquiry into whether or not someone violated DADT. Also, general officers are now the only ones that can start discharge proceedings for violating DADT. I don’t know how big of a change this really is however. In my experience in 1st Marine Division, general officers usually had to sign off on any type of discharge that wasn’t related to EAS or EOS. This included med boards, early outs for college, bad conduct discharges, and I would assume discharges related to DADT. They already had at least some involvement in the discharge process. This just seems to be a clarification on who is ultimately responsible for discharging someone who has violated DADT and limits a general officer’s ability to pawn off that responsibility on a lower-ranking officer. Without a doubt, it is going to make it harder to discharge someone under DADT, since a general isn’t going to want to devote a signficant amount of time to investigating someone’s sex life.
The second modification attempts to prevent someone from being discharged under DADT for being outed by a third-party (i.e. a pissed off ex-boyfriend/girlfriend, law enforcement, etc.). I personally support this change 100 percent. It is not fair for someone who is following DADT to the letter to be outed by a party outside of the military or by a scorned lover and then be subsequently discharged. Granted, in a lot of these stories you hear in the media about gays getting discharged for being outed by a third party, I think there is often more to the story on why they are getting kicked out. But in the instances where someone was doing the right thing and obeying the rules, it is not right to discharge them over another person’s word.
As I have stated before, I don’t think there is going to be an outright appeal of DADT anytime soon. The Obama administration has other more important priorities and any attempted repeal is going to be another bloody fight in Congress in an election year. I don’t think he has the political capital (or will) to completely repeal the policy this year.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Military issues, Politics
By the way, that stupid ad for “Gay Military Dating” was not put there by myself or anyone else at TAH it is a Google Ads nonsense.
This is a good breakdown of the Gates decision/directions.
I really think that the priorities of the force and politicians are elsewhere. There is no political will on either side to bet the house on a change in the near future. The only constant is the Lindsay Graham types being really excited to find liberal policy that is going to end the world.
the only way you cannot violate the policy is to be asexual. every single act or utterance, even when the military doesn’t know, is a violation. the main difference is now the third party has to be under oath. even if you try to hide being gay every gay servicemember is still at the mercy of no one “telling” on them. the new regs don’t change the stress of that.
There’s always another option.
Don’t enlist. Then it’s a non-issue.
So if we don’t see penetration or get a sworn first-person declaration, it don’t count… O7s are gonna want something more substantive than “I think he/she is gay” before starting action.
I heard a 3-star came out against the CIC’s policy.
The military must follow the civilian leadership.
End of story.
As a civilian you can have an opinion about policy, but once you put on the uniform (especially as a General) you must follow your commanders; baring everything covered in the standard disclaimer about legality and what not.
It is the responsibility of the CIC to issue policy that is in accordance to the laws that Congress writes and the President approves.
It is unfortunate that our CIC is would rather score political points; face it repealing DADT does nothing to make the military more lethal or cost effective, than support his leaders in the military.
We should all be thankful that our military cannot unionize. There are enough people in uniform that would willing abdicate more of their freedom to unions in exchange for the rainbows and unicorns they offer.
Just remember; friendly fire isn’t friendly.
At this point, I’d advocate renaming it “Didn’t Ask, Don’t Fucking Care”.
How about Don’t Inquire ‘Cuz Knowing Sucks……
Would you rather share a room with a gay McCain supporter or a straight Kunnich supporter? Assuming that you are not REALLY gay yourself? Do you prefer thin crust or thick crust? Assuming that you are really an American of Italian descent.
Would you prefer a vacation in Swizterland or in Andalucia?
Assuming that you know where either of them are?
Do you prefer the wide reciever position or do you prefer the line backer position? Assuming nothing.
Do you prefer difficult questions or do you prefer trick questions?
Hey, everyone, look who got a weekend pass from the fruit factory.
Spurt, you’re right, I don’t know where Swizterland is…..I do know where Switzerland is though, oh, and also Spain. Wide receiver if you must know…..’cuz I be fast like that!!! I am neither gay nor a McCain supporter, but I could be a straight Palin biznatch though….. Trick question, who’s buried in Grants Tomb??
Curt, you’re even weirder than I am.