this is one of our dogs that protects our vehicles along with us here in iraq..
Posted on 07/27/2006 7:39:00 AM PDT by SmithL
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) - A decorated sergeant and Arabic language specialist was dismissed from the U.S. Army under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, though he says he never admitted being gay and his accuser was never identified.
Bleu Copas, 30, told The Associated Press he is gay, but said he was "outed" by a stream of anonymous e-mails to his superiors in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
"I knew the policy going in," Copas said in an interview on the campus of East Tennessee State University, where he is pursuing a master's degree in counseling and working as a student adviser. "I knew it was going to be difficult."
An eight-month Army investigation culminated in Copas' honorable discharge on Jan. 30 _ less than four years after he enlisted, he said, out of a post-Sept. 11 sense of duty to his country.
Copas now carries the discharge papers, which mention his awards and citations, so he can document his military service for prospective employers. But the papers also give the reason for his dismissal.
He plans to appeal to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records.
The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, established in 1993, prohibits the military from inquiring about the sex lives of service members, but requires discharges of those who openly acknowledge being gay.
The policy is becoming "a very effective weapon of vengeance in the armed forces" said Steve Ralls, a spokesman for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a Washington-based watchdog organization that counseled Copas and is working to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Copas said he was never open about his sexuality in the military and suspects his accuser was someone he mistakenly befriended and apparently slighted.
More than 11,000 service members have been dismissed under the policy, including 726 last year _ an 11 percent jump from 2004 and the first increase since 2001.
That's less than a half-percent of the more than 2 million soldiers, sailors and Marines dismissed for all reasons since 1993, according to the General Accountability Office.
But the GAO also noted that nearly 800 dismissed gay or lesbian service members had critical abilities, including 300 with important language skills. Fifty-five were proficient in Arabic, including Copas, a graduate of the Defense Language Institute in California.
Discharging and replacing them has cost the Pentagon nearly $369 million, according to the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Lt. Col. James Zellmer, Copas' commanding officer in the 313th military intelligence battalion, told the AP that "the evidence clearly indicated that Sgt. Copas had engaged in homosexual acts."
While investigators were never able to determine who the accuser was, "in the end, the nature and the volume of the evidence and Sgt. Copas's own sworn statement led me to discharge him," Zellmer said.
Military investigators wrote that Copas "engaged in at least three homosexual relationships, and is dealing with at least two jealous lovers, either of whom could be the anonymous source providing this information."
Shortly after Copas was appointed to the 82nd Airborne's highly visible All-American Chorus last May, the first e-mail came to the chorus director.
"The director brought everyone into the hallway and told us about this e-mail they had just received and blatantly asked, 'Which one of you are gay?'" Copas said.
Copas later complained to the director and his platoon sergeant, saying the questions violated "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
"They said they would watch it in the future," Copas said. "And they said, even specifically then, 'Well, you are not gay are you?' And I said, 'no.'"
The accuser, who signed his e-mails "John Smith" or "ftbraggman," pressed Copas' superiors to take action against him or "I will inform your entire battalion of the information that I gave you."
On Dec. 2, investigators formally interviewed Copas and asked if he understood the military's policy on homosexuals, if he had any close acquaintances who were gay, and if he was involved in community theater. He answered affirmatively.
But Copas declined to answer when they asked, "Have you ever engaged in homosexual activity or conduct?" He refused to answer 19 of 47 questions before he asked for a lawyer and the interrogation stopped.
Copas said he accepted the honorable discharge to end the ordeal, to avoid lying about his sexuality and risking a perjury charge, and to keep friends from being targeted.
"It is unfair. It is unjust," he said. "Even with the policy we have, it should never have happened."
If you are a catholic priest, i'd not allow my kids alone with you. Obviously, never spent a day in uniform as your thread was ignorant and extremely stupid. A few of us in the squad bay laughed at you.
"A few of us in the squad bay laughed at you."
I'm sure it was a Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell squad bay!
Uggg.. Obviously He DIDN'T keep his private life private as most homos can't. To me this is like putting a child molester in a room full of children. I am sure others could tell, as rarely have I seen a homosexual that didn't put out the warning signs. This makes our good service men have to divert their attention away from what our soldiers are for, killing machines for our country's defense.
"Don't ask don't tell" is a joke and gays have no honorable role in our tax paid services IMHO...
Don't bother with any homophobe defense tactics, I was genetically born to retch when presented with any thought of seeing those freaks in my presence. The same genetic thought occurs when thinking we even think it is normal to put our soldiers where not only do they have to fight the enemy, but the enemy within also.
Exactly
You know something? He will protect you with his life and today, he is protecting you and our fellow countrymen as i write this. yet, you wouldn't defend him. How sad and hypocritical is that, scumbag. Yet, you call yourself a christian too.
Every now and then I run across a FR person with rude natures. Ma Bell, you rank (in more ways than one) among the top. I am forced to mentally put you in my list of complete jerks with no debating tact above a 13 y/o on an unmonitored chat site. I also like to play basketball, and your wild leap of sheer idiocy to the lowest common denominator is quite reveling. Not to my surprise, you continue down dumpster row with your other posts as well.
You share the idiocy of that so-called 'christian' who preaches hate and you concur with his views.
You agree with that idiot and his view that gay/lezzy soldiers are not worthy? I personally do not know of any here in my unit, but I will tell you and the other idiot something, they will risk their life for yours and his. In return, you would refuse to do the same. How shameful is that? I would say it is quite mindboggling.
Odd, you must have a problem with Bible believing Christians. Your problem take it up with God.
Orthodox judges people based on their faith to god.
"He who is spiritual judges all things" for "we have the mind of Christ" (1Cor. 2:15-16).
I will continue judging as the Bible says to judge.
"judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24)
Homosexuals are disgusting and perverted. They are against nature (Rom. 1:26-27)
Your traditions have clouded your judgment...that is sad.. but if you seriously want to debate this, lets take it up straight to the Bible and go at it.
BTW... The Bible says children that curse their parents are to be put to death. Ex. 21:17... right below the 10 commandments
What would Jesus say to this putting to death of children ?... would that be hate to him?
Answer me this ONE question... you brought up hate.. answer me this question then. Unless you are just a pertend, just as you like to shout at us.
Is that why Orthodox Priests do not have pedophiles? Getting back on track, ask your bud what his issue is. His transient belief in god does not sit well here. He decries the very person you and he ignore, that gay/lezzie will give his life for your right to post on here. yet, you want to boot him/her out of the military if they remain within the policy. You don't even know jack how accurate this article is. Yet, you decry his service. I personally could not care less if he was a fag or not. if he did his job and did it honorably, a good soldier, a good leader/nco, so be it.
My Orthodox upbringing bestows traditions and honor to what we do. We are not perfect and I do not profess to be as neither are you or anyone else.
We must all realize that all of us sin and will do so in the future.
First off...
Jesus affirmed the Mosaic Law even to the keeping of the "least of these commandments" (Mat. 5:17-19). He blasted the Pharisees for giving their own ideas precedence over God’s commands:
"Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying... `He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say..." Mat. 15:3-4
"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men..." [Jesus] said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, `Honor your father and your mother’; and `He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say..." Mark 7:8-11
Jesus defended the OT laws... and HE condemed those that would give to their own traditions of ignoring them. Just as you ignore those that spit in God's face with their homosexuality.
Christ was not at all embarrassed over His Father’s commands. Jesus repeated these commands without caveat or reservation. Guess Jesus was a real man, not a hide from the bushes and screamer of "not real Christian"...
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
I don't want to be the called the "least" in the kingdom.. You must...
I forgot to link my last quote from the Bible above... Matthew 5:17-19 ...
this is one of our dogs that protects our vehicles along with us here in iraq..
"Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? .......But you say..." Mat. 15:3-4
Today's Christians are much nicer than Jesus was... perhaps they are ashamed of Him... I don't plan on playing that role if I can help it.
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