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Name:
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Yankee06
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Subject:
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DADT
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Date:
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12/22/2010 11:03:24 AM
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Reference the above comments on who's qualified to comment on the impact of homosexuals in teh military, especially long-term combat situations.
-Let's be clear, everyone has the right to comment, --but some are more qualified to comment and their comments should probaly, but not always, have more weight.
-I spent 28 years in the Army, seven of them in the Pentagon, four on the Army staff and three on the Joint staff. Based on my seven years in the Pentagon, I feel comfortable commenting on what civilians do there, because I did what they did. I lived it, worked it, fought it, and supported it. Doesn't mean my comments are better than those of some civilians, just means I'm qualified. However, a civilian whose experience working on military issues in the Pentagon, is little qualified in my mind to comment on combat experiences with the same weight as those that experienced that combat.
-DADT in my mind was a chickens_ _ _ policy. It forced many dedicated soldiers to lie about themselves. It forced other dedicated soldiers to look the other way even though they knew military policy was not being obeyed. It was a political copout that made both groups less honorable than the nation had a right to expect.
-I have known homosexuals who have been dedicated, effective, brave soldiers. As individuals I believe they have the right to serve their country and that their country should be grateful for their service.
-However, the impact of open, approved homosexualality in close combat operations over long periods is an unknown, but previous deep looks into all possibilities do not produce good scenarios. A lot of people say it's just a matter of the military settinng policy and enforcing it. When it comes to something as basic to human existance as the sex drive, that position is just crazy. When women were placed on ships and the policy of non-fratinization was explained and enforced, what did we end up with? ---love ships!!! large percentages of teh female crew members came back pregnant. Careers were ruined, marriages were ruined, etc ...and it continues today. The sex drives in humans is second only to selfpreservation.
-In combat, team cohesion is one of teh most ctitical aspects of success. When you have half the guys having sex with each other, full unit cohesion is going to suffer. When you're back in the barracks and half the guys are doing each other and the other half finds such activity disgusting, unit cohesion is going to suffer. When you have the various congressional committees and private committees coming around to see if homosexuals are being oppressed or not, unit cohesion is going to suffer. When homosexuals start to complain about prejudice effecting their promotions etc (or vice versa), unit cohesion is going to suffer.
-Homosexuals openly serving in the military is a tough issue, because of the unique life styles required by combat and unit cohesion beyond what the normal 9-5 crowd experiences.
-On an individual basis, I respect and even support the right of homosexuals to serve their country. However, on the basis of combat effectiveness, I sincerely do not know if open service, with all its social impacts, will make us a more or less effective fighting force. My gut tells me that open service will adversely impact military effectiveness. I guess like many other changes our country is going through, only time will tell if change will be for the good.
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