Army dismisses gay soldier 'outed' by e-mail

AP ^ | 7/27/6 | DUNCAN MANSFIELD

[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."

[Red Badger]

The rules, UCMJ, can be changed by Congress at any time they want. This has become an outdated rule, by its very wording. ........

[Lucky Dog]

I knew it, we all did.

You may have suspected it, but question whether you “knew it.”

If you “knew” it, then you had either witnessed a crime under the UCMJ or participated in one. Which is it?

[Tokra]

The military does not need this queer in the ranks creating morale (or other) problems. Good riddance!

Our military needs any talented person who is willing to serve his country. Who are you to decide what our military needs?

This guy took his punishment like a man. What's your problem with that?

[Red Badger]

Did you get caught? No.

If you did, did you whine about it? I'da bragged about it.

Would your fellow service members have been revolted by your transgression? They'd probably wanted to watch.

Would they have refused to shower when you were? Nobody showered with me anyway.

Could you have been blackmailed for what you did? I ain't got no money or secrets.

Did your actions put your fellow service memebes at risk from blood borne pathogens related to HIV, etc. in the event your were wounded and they tried to render first aid? Syphilis and the clap have been around for thousands of years.

[retMD]

If you're in a foxhole and taking rounds, you don't give a damn what the guy next to you does with his gun as long as he can shoot straight with his rifle.........

We all agree with Barry Goldwater: "You don't need to be 'straight' to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight."

[Lucky Dog]

Our military needs any talented person who is willing to serve his country.

If this is such a critical need, then why don’t we let paraplegics volunteer… or blind people… or convicted felons?

Who are you to decide what our military needs?

It isn’t me, our elected officials make the decision. Congress is responsible for the UCMJ under our Constitution. Consequently, I must turn the question on you. If you wish to question the UCMJ, why don’t you write your Congressional representatives?

[Red Badger]

Neither, as the guy in question had a civilian "boyfriend".....

[Red Badger]

If this is such a critical need, then why don’t we let paraplegics volunteer… or blind people… or convicted felons?

I have maintained for years that disabled people should be allowed to serve. There are many office and clerical jobs they can perform easily while freeing up fully capable men and women for more important tasks. We did have a 1st Sgt that was blind in one eye...........he even had a glass eye with the Marine Corps emblem in it where the iris was supposed to be........

[Lucky Dog]

Did you get caught? No.

This guy did. So what is the problem with him taking the consequences?

If you did, did you whine about it? I'da bragged about it.

If you had in front of your superior officers, you could have been disciplined just as this man was. Would you have whined about it then?

Would your fellow service members have been revolted by your transgression? They'd probably wanted to watch.

If one of these fellow service members had turned you in, would you have taken the results without whining?

Would they have refused to shower when you were? Nobody showered with me anyway.

If you were in the military, you had to have used “gang showers” at least a few times in your tour. Did the entire unit clear out when you showed up?

Could you have been blackmailed for what you did? I ain't got no money or secrets.

If you were in the military, then you had knowledge, even if were only at the tactical level that could have been useful to a potential enemy. A queer can be blackmailed for such to the detriment or even death of your fellow service members. Still feel that you couldn’t have been blackmailed?

Did your actions put your fellow service membes at risk from blood borne pathogens related to HIV, etc. in the event your were wounded and they tried to render first aid? Syphilis and the clap have been around for thousands of years.

Neither of the diseases you mentioned are classed as blood borne pathogens.

[CT-Freeper]

This soldier was caught violating the UCMJ. His previous service record and decorations are probably what kept him from being discharged under other than honorable conditions.

He was CAUGHT violating the UCMJ? Are you sure that there was not just an anonymous accusation, which led to speculation on the part of his superiors, which led to an investigation, which led to him admitting he is gay because he didn't want to lie?

According to the account nobody was caught in the act of violating the UCMJ, nor was any actual proof given that he did.

[Red Badger]

... A queer can be blackmailed for such to the detriment or even death of your fellow service members. Still feel that you couldn’t have been blackmailed? ...

If they, Congress, changes the UCMJ, then that takes away the blackmail problem. .........

[bigdcaldavis]

Private Fudgepacker need not worry...the ACLU will (at least try to) save the day for him.

[Joan Kerrey]

A decorated sergeant and Arabic language specialist was dismissed from the U.S. Army under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy,

Let's see if I understand this. We're hundreds of thousand documents behind in interpreting. We don't have enough interpreters in the FBI, in the military, in the CIA and other agencies. We give special training to an individual who is elevated in the ranks and is decorated and who wants to serve his country. But his orientation negates all of that. Stupid, just plain stupid. If we keep this up we'll all be speaking Arabic and converting to Islam.

[Retired Army Special Forces]

There is a militant homosexual agenda targeting America that is solidly Leftist, hates conservative main stream America, and would like nothing better than laws outlawing any conservative values if not outright rounding up of all conservatives.

This is the group, who contemptuously refers to the rest of you "Heterosexual Scum" as "Breeders". These are the ones who put on the Gay Parades in hopes that your children will see the fine examples. These are the ones who are constantly screeching "I'm a victim and my rights are violated by you not allowing me in the military!"

Much of the hatred emanating from the "Homosexual Party" (DUmmycRATS) is driven by the militant homosexual left wing. Because we are holding the line on their agenda which has money entitlement and "victimology" at it's core roots. And holding the line against the Left generates hatred not only for conservatives, but for America in general.

The assault on our culture with the "Queer Eye" type shows and the rest of the garbage coming out of the Leftist "entertainment" industry is an attempt to provide cover for the core elements in the militant homosexual movement. Image makeover. "We're the harmless gay goofballs on "QEFTSG". Lipstick on a pig if you will.

There is another term for it - propaganda.

The whole end game, no pun intended, is to legalize "Gay Marriage". And the military has long been the prized vehicle and platform of the Left to implement it. Only by having won the last two elections have we collectively kicked the militant homosexual agenda in the nuts and rendered them defeat after defeat. Having nearly gained full control of SCOTUS, we are well positioned to keep the militant homosexual agenda at least out of the hands of militant homosexual left wing activist judges.

Once the militant homosexuals can get the rules changed to allow open homosexuals in the ranks, then that provides them with a strong political agenda underpinning to help defeat our recent advances to ban "Gay Marriage" on a state by state basis.

We were defeated by ONE vote to amend the constitution defining marriage as between a man and woman. That is a huge advancement for part of the conservative agenda - to protect our culture from further coarsening and decay.

It's plainly evident that the method the Left is using to bring down America is through the culture war, education system and the courts. We are winning back some ground but still in the middle of the fight, make no mistake. The slouch towards Gomorrah continues and its led by the Leftists in Western nations.

That being said, this is a shame really. If this guy was following DADT and was merely targeted by a bunch of idiots then its too bad really. But the rules are the rules. He could have kept his mouth shut and simply denied it. Just like some of these guys should keep their mouths shut when they have to be a little excessive now and then when terminating terrorists and their supporters. Unless there are more witnesses than "he said he said" then there's no proof. But the 82nd is having a backlash right now with witch hunts and purges of the homosexuals due to the homosexuals who infiltrated the military making the gay porn video. And guess what you whiny Left Wing Homosexual radicals? You brought it on yourselves by your own oh-so-friggin-predictiable behavior.

The standards against allowing open homosexuals in the ranks must be adhered to and vigorously enforced. Does anyone really want to see their company commander, Plt Sgt, LT - whatever show up to a unit function with his boyfriend. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can themselves be targeted by the "Political Correctness Police". If you open up the military to that kind of thing they will seize the opportunity and exploit it for all its worth.

Has anyone seen the South Park episode where "Mr. Garrison" does a bunch of degenerate gerbil stuffing with "Mr. Slave" in front of the school kids in the classroom? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Slave

Fact of the matter is, NAMBALA endorsed Kerry and always endorses Democrats. Now, just why would that be? Gee, I wonder. Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Sure, it's funny as hell and sick as can be. I don't advise any sensitive Christians to watch it because it pushes the very limit of what can be allowed on TV under the current rules (at least until the Leftists take power again). But there is truth in humor and the moral of the story in this South Park episode is that we don't have to keep being frigging IDIOTS trying to show each other how stupidly "tolerant" of "Gays" we can be.

Time to tell the militant homosexuals and the entire Leftist movement in general to sit the hell down and STFU!

[napscoordinator]

First of all (Just My Opinion) but there has to be more to this story. There is no way this went down this way. The command getting a few e-mails from ananymous sources, the sargents asking that question like that, him not actually saying he was gay....no way would the command put themselves in this position over this evidence. I sincerely believe that there has to be more. Remember this is a newpaper article with a reporter that we just love. sarc. This is another hit piece for the military. This kid looks like he is straight...I know you really can't tell. But my thinking is that this kid WANTED to get out and possibly sent the e-mails himself. Remember this guy has a paid for by the government language that is and will be sought out for years. Even though he turned down the Iraq thing, he can work in many areas in Homeland Security or whatever...of course I could be wrong but I just have this feeling I am right.

[Joan Kerrey]

A decorated sergeant and Arabic language specialist was dismissed from the U.S. Army under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy,

You have 10 intercepted documents written in Arabic

One of the 10 documents tells where a nuke is located that will go off in 30 minutes. It takes 25 minutes to interpret each of the documents.

You have 10 interpreters for the 10 documents but one is gay.

Discharging the gay means at least one of the documents won't get interpreted in time to find the nuke and react.

Military: "Get him out of here, we have no use for gays in the military"

sure, makes sense to me.

[TheSuaveOne]

I think you mistook this site as a KKK web forum...la

[Jacquerie]

This don't ask don't tell baloney was forced on the military by the Hildebeast's gang in 1993. The services fought it because homos in the military are and have always been detrimental to good order. Living and social conditions in the field or close quarters aboard a warship bear no resemblance to the 9-5, five day a week working life of the civilian world.

That said, the Sgt knew the policy when he enlisted. He received an extremely expensive education in a foreign language for free. He broke the regulations. If anything he should be fined for the cost of his education on his way out the door.

[Lucky Dog]

He was CAUGHT violating the UCMJ? Are you sure that there was not just an anonymous accusation, which led to speculation on the part of his superiors, which led to an investigation, which led to him admitting he is gay because he didn't want to lie?

It seems your definition of “caught” and mine are different. An investigation that results in an uncontested action against an accused perpetrator is “caught” in my book. It doesn’t matter to me what initiated the investigation as long as it meets the requirements of the law.

According to the account nobody was caught in the act of violating the UCMJ, nor was any actual proof given that he did.

A discharge would not have been the result with without uncontested evidence. In any court of the land, not just a military one, uncontested evidence is viewed as proof.

[TheSuaveOne]

I'm glad to see you approve of weakening our military...la