Impossible? No. Possibilities are not the issue. The issue is the odds...
The biggest problem with the military and gays is that once the military starts to socially engineer something, it goes 100% overboard. In some cases, like with racial integration, it was probably necessary. In other cases, like trying to convince people that a girl who does 30 push ups in two minutes is as fit (and as valuable in combat) as a guy who does 55, the military goes deep into make believe.
But you have to believe the party line and repeat the party line, or you'll never get promoted, and you'll never be a good Soldier.
Living in Baghdad, I get to watch a lot of AFN. Every other AFN commerical is mushy feel-good liberal talking point. I'm a live and let live guy, but I'm not really down with having to be brainwashed into the pro-gay agenda every time I go to the chow hall. The troops would get it worse, as they'd have mandatory meetings every quarter to explore gay issues, the same way the do with gender and race now.
The racial integration attempts have done a vast amount of good. The gender integration has done some good, insofar as the parts of it that are grounded in reality. Homosexual integration would probably turn off (so to speak) a lot of people who don't care if others are gay, but aren't looking to spend a career in a vocally pro-gay organization.
That last sentence is the key. If homosexuality is allowed in the military, it will have the media and legal authority of military behind it in full force. It will affect everything from promotions to punishment to what words troops are allowed to use.
Pretty close. All military members are periodically tested for HIV. If they test positive...goodbye.
A few points...
The increased probability of blood-borne diseases on the battlefield is a real bad idea. US military members are legendary for risking their own lives to pull a buddy out of the line of fire and literally bathe in the injured member's blood. Do we really want to increase the hazard even more? Do we want soldiers/marines/etc to think twice...thrice...when others are bleeding to death?
Death among gays from HIV is disproportionately higher than for non-gays. Since most die at a relatively early age, it is also a high probability that many will contract HIV while on active duty, then spend the rest of their days in VA hospital suffering a long and very expensive death. Call me cold, but I would much rather see the scarce resources of the VA and what is left of military medical facilities reserved for the combat injured.
As someone said earlier, the military is not a social club. It is deadly serious business. If you want to join the military, then don't be gay. End of story.
I was serving when Clinton attempted to lift the ban on gays. The hostility among military members that I had contact with...was impressive to say the least.