Posted on 02/02/2010 11:15:04 AM PST by Red Steel
WASHINGTON -- The military's top uniformed officer on Tuesday made an impassioned plea for allowing gays to serve openly in uniform, telling a Senate panel it was a matter of integrity and that it is wrong to force people to "lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens."
The comments by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, set the stage for the military's yearlong study into how the ban can repealed without causing a major upheaval to the fighting forces.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, appearing with Mullen before the Armed Services Committee, announced plans to loosen enforcement rules involving the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that has been in effect since 1993.
President Barack Obama has called for a repeal of the policy, a move that require congressional action. If he succeeds, it would mark the biggest shake up to military personnel policies since President Harry S. Truman's 1948 executive order integrating the services.
"No matter how I look at the issue," Mullen said, "I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens." Noting that he was speaking for himself and not for the other service chiefs, Mullen added: "For me, it comes down to integrity - theirs as individuals and ours as an institution."
Sen. John McCain, the ranking Republican on the panel, publicly bristled at the Pentagon's decision to the study, saying he is "deeply disappointed" and calling the assessment "clearly biased" because it presumes the law should be changed.
Has this policy been ideal? No, it has not," McCain said. "But it has been effective."
Several other Republicans
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The Admiral understands that if you want to advance in the military, you’d better get with the program. It has always been that most admirals & generals get their “star” not for competence but for their brown-nosing, & ability to cultivate the right people.
One more step down the road to third world status.
Most countries in the First World allow gays to serve openly in the military. The so-called "Third World" usually doesn't have such a policy.
Someone needs to send Mullen and Mr. Gates this memo, because they have lost their ability to lead:
“Marines of Conscience or Homosexual Marines”
http://www.thebutter-cutter.com/Marines_of_Conscience_or_Ho.php
Does anybody in the Ibama Administration talk with anything but a forked tongue?
Current policy is "don't ask, don't tell", not "we ask, you lie".
Gotta agree, except I'd narrow it even more - that position should be left to someone who was infantry or armor.
When I joined the Navy in 1982, homosexuality was illegal. Then it became “don’t ask, don’t tell.” I finally decided to retire a few years ago before it became mandatory.
Ping to link at 64.
Promotions to Flag/General Officer rank since the Reagan era have been based on an officer’s “Political Correctness” score.
Combat and leadership skills are secondary considerations.
Need I say more?
Who are they worshiping in the higher echelons in DC?? Cos it sure isn't the God of the Bible and Founding Fathers.
Stocking up....
It is not the individual cases of who did what to whom. That already happens, one young Marine video taped having gay sex claimed he could remember nothing and may have been the victim of date rape drugs, and then again he may not. Everyone needs to take a more expansive view. Even Krauthammer is taking a narrow view. Here are some questions that need to be answered:
1. Is homosexuality a genetic issue or a life style issue? If it is a life style can the military restrict homosexual behavior on military installations while simultaneously allowing gays to serve?
2. If it is a life style issue, can the military then continue to legally deny enlistment opportunities to reformed criminals, drug addicts, or obese people? In some case these were life style choices. What about people over 45?
3. If the military cannot restrict gay sex on installations, will straight members be able to request alternative quarters. In other words, junior military members are generally in two to four man rooms, it is one thing for young people to say they have no problem with gays; it is another to live with a gay person involuntarily. Or to come in and find a group of gay men/women are drinking and talking about gay sex or finding your roommate having gay sex in your shared head. If straights are allowed to request straight berthing, will this create segregation and disrupt unit cohesion.
4. In 2009 the United States Navy alone had nearly as many personnel as the entire British armed forces (between 400K to 500K) That total includes Reserve Forces. How can the UK Forces be an example of integrating gays into the military it is a far smaller force from an extremely secular country?
5. Will personnel currently serving who are not willing to serve with gays be given Honorable discharges early or early retirement?
6. Will Chaplains be required to perform gay unions if the military recognizes them?
7. Will gay members that want to live as women be allowed to do so off duty.
8. Will transsexuals be given dependency status and be allowed to live on the base as a woman. If a doctor approves will gay members be allowed to live as transsexuals and will DOD pay for sex change operations.
9. Will gays be allowed to claim a “spouse” from civil unions of gay marriages from states like MA? Is there a legal basis for deny these benefits if gays are allowed to serve openly?
10. Will gay members be allowed to claim there partners as dependents live in base housing.
11. Will the military allow openly gay behavior in the base clubs and facilities?
12. Can the military prevent gay affectionate behavior while wearing the uniform?
13. With the number of military suicides on the rise related to stress of war, how will the military address a young gay suicide rate anywhere from 30-40% higher than among straights?
14. Male gay sex is high risk for HIV and STDs, what will be the cost to the DOD, how many personnel are currently diagnoses with HIV from gay sex under don’t ask, don’t tell.
15. Can don’t ask, don’t tell be maintained in such a way as to prevent third part accusations, allow gays to serve? In other words, is it possible to specify what gay activity will result in discharge vice simply being gay as sufficient grounds for discharge.
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Good comments on the thread.
Oops!
Bump
Same argument can be made for any illicit activity in the military.
How about selling drugs?
Nope, we wouldn’t want drug peddlers to have to lie in order to defend their fellow countrymen.
How about child molesters?
Nope, we wouldn’t want child molesters to have to lie in order to defend their fellow countrymen.
How about traitorous spies?
Nope, we wouldn’t want traitorous spies to have to lie in order to defend their fellow countrymen.
How about (fill in any criminal felonious act perpetrated by a criminal)?
Nope we wouldn’t want (fill in the same criminal felonious actor’s title) to have to lie in order to defend their fellow countrymen.
Mullen got to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs without ever seeing a single second of combat—and he is 63 years old! How does that happen??? Disgusting.
well if we’re gonna have people openly showering with others that they would like to have sex with, then we should make the military 100% co-ed...
The Navy only needs Marines like police need a K-9 corps, jarhead...TRUE, you're good for sniffing out stuff and attacking on command and also when we Sailors say "stay" or "fetch". Your comment is also proof that you should always be leashed by those with higher intellect!
I have long said that what works in countries no larger than an individual state in the United States, cannot work in America. If we were only talking about Missouri or Rhode Island, we might have more options, but we've got a lot of territory to apply the one-size-fits-all mentality.
Now, since Admiral Mullen wants open Homos in the military — and the Navy Included — I assume he will also lift the BAN on women serving in SUBMARINES, right?
He has already done this. You are behind on your news. The only problem I have with the ban on gays in the military is that the United States and Iran are the only two countries who ban them. That is not good company! :) Our two closest allys Israel and England both allow gays and have not had any problems.
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