Former Army Lt Dan Choi announced in the Huffington Post that he intended to rejoin the military service now that DADT has been repealed. Homosexuality aside, Choi may have other issues to overcome before the military will let him in.
Choi, originally promoted to “Mr.” below-the-zone for being homosexual, reportedly admitted to being “involuntarily committed” to a psychiatric ward due to Read more
Commandant of the Marine Corps and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Amos has been widely reported to have said the repeal of DADT would cause “distractions” that could “cost Marine lives.”
Amos was widely criticized, with some even calling for his resignation for being “out of step with his own bosses.” Apparently critics failed to realize its the responsibility of the Chiefs of Staff to provide such advice to the President. It is not their job to be “yes men.” Interestingly, there was speculation Amos had been chosen by Obama for both his pensive reservation and for his views on DADT (both of which seem to have been proven contrary to perception).
Still, Amos specifically said civilian leadership of the military in the US would be respected.
This weekend, Congress voted to repeal the law banning homosexuals from serving in the military.
The Army Times covers (and CNN repeats) the lengths to which Army troops are now going in order to avoid discharge for being overweight:
They’re increasingly turning to starvation diets, weight-loss pills, laxatives and even liposuction…
Soldiers write about wrapping themselves in Icy-Hot, Preparation H treatments, popping stool softeners, going to saunas to meet the Army’s requirements. Many of the comments say the military should reassess its weight standards.
Keep in mind this has nothing to do with the military’s rigorous Read more
The Stars and Stripes notes that more is at stake than just DADT with regard to the 2011 Defense Authorization Act:
If the measure is held up by Senate Republicans [or Democrats -ed], it could stall the military’s annual pay raise (which would be either 1.4 percent or 1.9 percent in January) and a host of recruiting and enlistment bonuses. The 2011 NDAA also includes language extending Tricare coverage to dependent children of troops until age 26, increases hostile fire and imminent danger pay, and provides millions in impact aid to schools with a high enrollment of military children.
Despite the drama, this is not the first time the NDAA has been held up Read more
Summary of recent articles/news on the potential change to the law banning homosexuals from serving in the US military. Below:
While much discussion has occurred over the Department of Defense’s report on DADT, many seem to have missed the completely separate (and substantial) report written on how to implement repeal within the military.
Much of the “Support Plan for Implementation” (PDF, 1.9MB) is at least alluded to in the original report, and much is administrative (like suggesting the use of “gay and lesbian,” as opposed to “homosexual”). Still, there are some interesting specifics. For example, while the plan reiterates that average servicemembers will not be allowed to separate for moral reasons, it gives a “suggestion” to Chaplains on how they can get out of the military if they so choose: Read more
As reported at FoxNews, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen took those who might still support DADT to task:
Military members who have a problem with a change in policy to allow gays to serve openly may find themselves looking for a new job, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned Thursday.
This seems consistent with prior leadership statements that those who support the current law could “vote with their feet.” However, to be fair, it seems the Admiral was excessively paraphrased. It seems the relevant quote is actually: Read more
…or maybe it does. The report, entitled Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, was released yesterday (available here, or at the DoD DADT website). The following is a list of highlights from the report.
Statistics and Questions
As noted previously, fun with numbers will likely allow both sides of the DADT debate to cite the report in favor of their position.
For example, one of the most frequently cited statistics (as here and here) is the statement that
When asked about how having a Service member in their immediate unit who said he or she is gay would affect the unit’s ability to “work together to get the job done,” 70% of Service members predicted it would have a positive, mixed, or no effect.
However, using precisely the same numbers, one could also say
When asked about how having a Service member in their immediate unit who said he or she is gay would affect the unit’s ability to “work together to get the job done,” 62% of Service members predicted it would have a negative or mixed effect.
Obviously, the second statement holds quite a different meaning than the first – yet both are entirely accurate.
One of the main disconnects is that many reports have conflated Read more