[MineralMan]

"The challenge filed by LTC Steve Loomis, who was ousted from the Army for being gay just 8 days prior to his 20 year retirement date in 1997, also challenges the federal anti sodomy statute covering the military."

Whatever the result of this, the person served almost 20 years in our military, and has been denied his pension by being booted 8 days before retirement.

I don't care if he's gay or straight or likes sheep. That's just wrong.

[scan59]

He could have simply kept his mouth shut. It's his own fault.

[Luis Gonzalez]

BTW, I'm with you on this.

I would not be surprised if this was done intentionally.

[ewing]

Yes, but my guess is that he 'came out' publicly to force a court case right before his retirement.

[longtermmemmory]

8 days seems odd. was he outed or was he making a "statement".

He was lying to the US military for 20 years. With 19 years in, was he vested in his retirement. What does he loose with 8 days.

Soldier or not, something stinks in denmark.

[roderick]

Be careful what you call "wrong". We don't know the circumstances from the article. Was he an activist? Prior to Bent Willie's change in DOD homosexual policy in 1993, homosexuality resulted in discharge. After that, well, as we all know, the military could not ask about such matters, but homosexuality was still a dischargable action.

Yes, getting the boot just 8 days prior sounds like a cheap shot. But was it legal? If so, tough.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Is it right? Not really, but he KNEW the rules, and voluntarily violated them - he has no one to blame but himself... and I don't even care whether he's Homosexual or not. If anyone else had broken any other rule - a dischargable offense - 8 days before retirement, the same thing would happen to them.

He can sue all he wants, but it was his own stupidity that got him in this mess.

[wcbtinman]

"That's just wrong."

What's wrong is the lie he told when he signed up, and the false oath he swore upon induction.

That he was just 8 days shy of retirement is just too bad.

[plain talk]

I care. And so do the officers and generals who have lives on the line entrusted to them to fight wars. Soldiers have enough problems without sheep-loving wackos or homo's creating problems in the ranks. Actually these perverts can still stay in the service as long as they don't make "tell". We don't have the facts on what he did to "tell" in order to get the boot.

[Sci Fi Guy]

I don't care if he's gay or straight or likes sheep. That's just wrong.

I've read about this guy before. He is major scum. He preyed upon the soldiers under him. He was caught after a young private broke into his home to find the porno Pics that the guy took of him. The ltc was paying soldiers to pose nude. He's not some harmless old queer that was caught holding hands with the wrong person.

Do you really think that the miltary would go through the trouble of a discharge, without there being more to the story? It would have been far easier to just let him retire.