The Senate this weekend voted to repeal DADT and lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military. My position as a former national guard member on allowing gays to serve is known, and as long as no special treatment is expected or given, I don't foresee any problems, but the minute somebody demands any special treatment because they are gay, then the jig is up. Still, a Pandora's box of questions about the long-term present themselves as they have in civilian life....
For instance:
-What happens when a soldier tells his commander that he more identifies as a woman than a man. Can he start wearing a skirted uniform? How about transgendered soldiers?
-What will happen to the chain of command and unit discipline when a gay soldier is punished, but claims that it's just because he's gay?
-What about the inevitable problems that'll arise from the communal-style living of low-ranking enlisted soldiers? Showering? Will all base commanders be required to give gay soldiers private quarters to avoid problems?
I'm just saying, as long as gay soldiers kill the enemy as effectively as their straight comrades and keep their personal lives personal, there shouldn't be problems. But that's never how things play out.
2 comments:
I'm waiting to see two things. I don't expect either:
1. A rush of openly gays to recruiting offices.
2. Those universities that have banned ROTC using the excuse of DADT reinstate ROTC.
2a. The Pentagon goes after those that don't and continue to violate the law by taking federal money while banning ROTC.
Check this out. I don't see the National Guard being bold enough to offer an opinion on this.
December 20, 2010
Fighting the repeal of don't ask, don't tell
Van Owen
Don't Ask Don't Tell has been repealed by the federal government. But the National Guard and Air Guard are state functions that are an important component of the available forces. Its commander-in-chief is the state governor and its commander is the state Adjutant General, usually a two-star general officer who is appointed by the governor. These forces are responsible and accountable to the governor and not to the massive active duty structure.
One of the most interesting results of the 2010 election is the Republican take-over of many governors' mansions and state houses. These "competing bureaucracies" are the key to defeating the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Perhaps twenty-five or so Republican governors with Republican state houses could band together, adopt a uniform policy, and then tell the Pentagon, "Our state legislatures recently enacted legislation enforcing the ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy in the National Guard and Air National Guard. We will recruit new soldiers and airmen according to these standards and operate our military units under them. Same-sex fraternization will be vigorously prosecuted according to the established guidelines in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the Manual for Courts-Martial, as well as our state laws."
The Tenth Amendment has not been repealed. The Active Duty forces will be forced to endure endless classes concerning the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." But the National Guard and Air National Guard can avoid this nonsense, if only they would band together and tell the Federal Government "Enough!"
But the wise governors and state legislatures will enforce the current standards in order to maintain military discipline and not the latest version of latest social engineering experiments at the expense of national security. The Commander-in-Chief will not "Federalize" twenty-five or so state National Guard forces simply to enforce the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." If he did, the Federal Government will have to pay them.
Let the lawsuits begin.
Van Owen is the nom-de-guerre of a retired USAF sergeant who is a small church pastor and part-time college professor.
Page Printed from: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/12/fighting_the_repeal_of_dont_as.html at December 20, 2010 - 01:59:40 PM CST
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