New Data On Gay Discharges
Military Fires More Mission-Critical Specialists
SANTA BARBARA, CA, — The Defense Department has provided new data about gay discharges under “don’t ask, don’t tell” to Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA). The data show that during January 2009, the Army discharged eleven gay service members for homosexuality.
Service members discharged in January include one human intelligence collector, one military police officer, four infantry personnel and others. The new data were first announced in a USA Today op-ed this morning written by Palm Senior Research Fellow, Nathaniel Frank.
The loss of mission-critical troops prompted some lawmakers and experts to question the wisdom of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Congressman Moran asked, “How many more good soldiers are we willing to lose due to a bad policy that makes us less safe and secure?”
Frank said that “firing mission-critical human intelligence specialists and other badly needed troops may undermine the military’s ability to pursue its mission.” His new book, Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, documents a pattern of discharging Arabic linguists and other mission-critical troops.
