U.S. Navy fires RECALLED gay serviceman

[kevinbgoode]

"Support the troops" my ass! This has to be one of the most ridiculous acts I've seen conducted by our military brass. An openly gay serviceman, who had already done one tour of duty and came OUT as gay, was RECALLED to active duty and completed a tour in Kuwait, again being openly gay. Now, just short of his year re-commitment, the Navy has announced they plan to discharge him.

When an American citizen is treated this badly (gosh, I forgot to mention the government recouped his SIGN-UP bonus the last time around)it is time to demand this policy be changed immediately.
Frankly, I think all of the "funding for our troops" rhetoric surrounding this Pentagon bill should now carry an amendment demanding that this seaman be allowed to finish his duty, be compensated for his sign-up bonus, AND in the future, any discharges of gay personnel must be immediately replaced by forced Yellow Elephant enlistments!

Here's the poop:

U.S. Navy Announces It Will Now Fire Openly Gay Sailor Re-Called to Active Duty{/B]

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Navy has informed Petty Officer Second Class Jason Knight that it intends to fire him under the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law just weeks prior to completing his one-year commitment. Knight, an openly gay sailor, was recalled to active duty in June 2006 and recently completed a tour of duty in Kuwait, where he was open about his sexual orientation with his command and fellow sailors. Knight told his story last weekend in the newspaper Stars & Stripes and was notified yesterday that he will be receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy based, in part, on his recent media interviews. Knight was scheduled to end his commitment on May 28, 2007, but will face early dismissal because he chose to go public about his experience.

“Jason Knight was an exemplary sailor who gladly returned to active duty when our country needed him,” said Sharra E. Greer, director of law and policy for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). “Now, despite his dedication and service, and the praise of those he served alongside, the Navy has decided to fire him because he dared to tell his story and put a public face to the courage of lesbian and gay service personnel. Our nation should be embarrassed that our armed forces are forced to respond to Knight’s selfless service with a government-sanctioned pink slip. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ silences lesbians and gays and attempts to make them invisible. Because Knight refused invisibility, he will now be fired.”

Knight, a trained Hebrew linguist, was re-called to active duty and served with Naval Customs Battalion Romeo in Kuwait. He told Stars & Stripes that, having ‘come out’ to his command during his previous enlistment, he saw no reason to hide his sexual orientation. Many of his colleagues spoke to the newspaper in support of him. “The Navy tends to keep people who don’t want to be here, but Jason does,” Petty Officer 1st Class Tisha Hanson told the paper. “(I)t doesn’t bother me.”

http://www.sldn.org/templates/press/record.html?record=3908§ion=2


With all due respect to the others who know people serving in the armed forces, this just completely ticks me off. This is NOT a nation of heterosexuals ONLY, and I'm sick and tired of hearing people running around saying that everyone has all the same rights when we know that is a goddamned LIE.

There is just simply no excuse for this behavior. I'm getting tired of listening to Republicans and Democrats alike whining about "supporting our troops" when they let this kind of stuff happen. .. and then we are treated to the likes of General Pace moralizing as if his "upbringing" contained some sort of "Pace the Magic Cracker" fast track to heaven's gates or something, simply because of the direction his peepee allegedly points when he gets all hot and bothered.

It is outrageous enough that people's lives are damaged over a policy which has used excuses as flimsy as "but what about taking showers with THEM?". . .as if I'm supposed to keep writing checks to a government which tells me that a bunch of nutcase wingnuts who can't protect their own peepees in the shower are somehow capable of defending a whole nation.

[babylonsister]

1. Rec'd for outrage. Why ANYONE would want to serve with this

duplicitous bunch is beyond me.

[sarge43]

2. You'll get no argument from this retired military.

The treatment of gay and lesbian service personnel is cruel, stupid, shameful, a violation of basic human and civil rights and counter productive.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. "Exemplary sailor"

So the Navy discharges a good sailor because he's gay. The Navy lost.

Apart from the fact that it puts the US Navy on the wrong side of a human rights issue, the Navy shot itself in the foot. If they can't look at this as being wrong on moral grounds, can't they at least see that it's impractical?

[MADem]

6. The Department of Defense shot itself in the foot.

This isn't "Navy" policy. It's DOD policy. Small point, but worth mentioning.

I get the impression that this kid's CO didn't care either way. It looks, from what I am reading, that after his Letter to the Editor, some asshole in DOD P+R (likely a political appointee-fundy) took exception and decided to do a "Nip it!!! Nip it in the bud!!!" exercise.

[Zenlitened]

4. What a sad turn to this story. Shameful, and it should outrage everyone, gay and straight alike.

“The Navy tends to keep people who don’t want to be here, but Jason does."

Here's a man who's been knocked around by his country, treated shabbily (to say the least) and STILL stands up and answers the call to serve once more. Only to be kicked in the gut again. Talk about "spitting on soldiers." :grr:

Sometimes it seems we're a nation incapable of learning from our own history.

Black Soldiers Battled Fascism and Racism
Veterans Remember Bitterness of Bias-Tainted Homecomings

By Nurith C. Aizenman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 26, 2004; Page B01

A few months after the Allied victory in World War II, 24-year-old Capt. Harold Montgomery returned to the General Accounting Office at Fifth and G streets NW to reclaim his old job with the U.S. Post Office Department.

Since leaving 4 1/2 years earlier, Montgomery had led a heavy weapons company of the Army's all-black 92nd "Buffalo Soldiers" Infantry Division up the western coast of Italy through barrage upon barrage of German fire. He had watched wounded men die as shrapnel sliced through the plasma bags set up to give them transfusions. He had grinned and waved as cheering residents of liberated cities pressed flowers and bottles of wine into his hands.

But when the Washington native walked into the GAO's grand, high-ceilinged lobby, it was as though time had stood still. A large plaque honoring postal employees who had served in the war did not list Montgomery or any other African American veterans, he recalled. Worse still, a personnel manager informed him that he would not receive a pay raise given to returning white soldiers.

(snip)

Today, as the dedication of the National World War II Memorial approaches, the memory of their homecoming still gives Montgomery and many other black veterans a bitter twinge. At a series of events honoring the roughly 1 million African Americans who served in the war -- part of this weekend's salute to the World War II generation -- they will recall a fight waged on two fronts: against fascism overseas and against the racist laws and attitudes that oppressed blacks at home.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55650-2004May25.html

[kevinbgoode]

12. This just amazes me. . .not only was their segregation in the ranks

but then they treated the Black veterans as if they didn't really exist. This is, to me, one of the biggest travesties about the state of affairs in this country. I have no doubt that if this country was in danger, every GLBT citizen would be required to bear arms to defend the nation. . .except now I understand just why many people of ethnic minorities felt like they really only ended up defending the White America. WWII, in my opinion, sowed the seeds for the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's and well into the 1970's. . .and it appears that this nation has yet to learn its own lesson about freedom and justice for ALL.

[MADem]

5. There's a flip side to all this. This guy has cause for action.

He surely knew what he was doing when he came back on ACDU. The Navy had the duty to verify his eligibility, and they clearly failed in their duty.

I'll bet he's not surprised at this turn of events, either. He had an opportunity to challenge the system, do it publicly, demonstrate the invalidity of the DADT policy, and gain publicity for the cause of repeal.

Think of him as a Rosa Parks figure; moving the ball forward in the quest for equality. I realize it is rather difficult to 'find the pony' in this situation, but there it is. He could have served out his tour quietly, with his commanding officer just not 'mentioning' it (and that looks like what was happening until he blew the whistle on himself--it looks like his boss got a top-down order; likely from some BushCo fundies at the Pentagon in Personnel and Readiness, is my guess) or he could have thrown down a challenge--which he did.

I have no idea when his enlistment would have run out, but I wll say the odds of DADT repeal would be better with a Democratic president. Pity he couldn't have waited, unless there's a bigger agenda at play here. Presidential decrees were what integrated the forces and established (despite the fact that it is an unacceptable half-measure, it was a huge step at the time) DADT.

I'd be curious to learn if there was any orchestration to this effort, and if there will be others who will write similar letters to push the matter.

There's one more point that is kind of important in the 'Big Scheme of Things:' This guy is USN. They aren't hurting for bodies; in fact, they're "highly selective." If Army and USMC (services that are not making goal) servicemembers, particularly those serving on the front lines, or in rotation for that duty, started writing in to the Stars and Stripes with similar stories, it could get VERY interesting.

[wicket]

7. Those rat bastards

:grr:

[Squatch]

8. As an openly hetero servicemember in the combat arms

of the US Army, I say that DADT and the DoD's prohibition on gay servicmembers needs to be unequivocally repealed.

You cannot convince me that a gay citizen is not entitled to defend his country as the rest of us.

[bigtree]

9. predictable

and outrageous.

They couldn't let this stand without creating a huge precedent. Very disappointing.

[ChipperbackDemocrat]

10. It's makes me wonder...

Between this...and not having the equipment...and inadequate medical care..and a high command who doesn't get it and civilian leadership who find it to be so easy to be brave with another man or woman's body...It makes me wonder why anybody would choose to fight for this country?

Someday, we will call to arms, and nobody will show up.

[BOSSHOG]

11. I urge every Soldier and Marine on the ground in Iraq

to declare their homosexuality. Lets just test the fucking garbage that passes for conservative values.

The Navy will continue to retain the alcoholics and spouse abusers and Sailors who can't balance a checkbook.