Don’t ask and I can’t tell
Debate about the current military policy regarding homosexual service has moved into the forefront of American culture through both the legislative and judicial aspects of life. As many of you know the Senate recently failed to pass a bill which would repeal the current policy stating that homosexual members are permitted to serve in the military provided that they do not make their homosexuality known. The courts have recently levied two decisions in favor of homosexual members, which could set a legal precedent that allows for this policy to be overturned regardless of what the elected officials in Washington decide. Allow me to first say that I believe the current policy is discriminatory in its nature, and that the individual lifestyle choices of Americans should be protected by the constitution of this great nation. Given the previous statement it is fair to say that the current policy is flawed, but can the United States military allow for members to serve if they are openly homosexual?
I am a United States Marine, who proudly served this country and the Marine Corps for four years. Did I encounter homosexual individuals during my service? The answer is undoubtedly yes. One morning during my years living in a barracks at MCAS Miramar I violated an order and had a guest stay overnight in my barracks room. The following morning as I was escorting the young woman out of my room another Marine had also violated that order and had a guest leaving her room at the same time. Both guests were female, and while the female Marine was concerned that I might say something regarding her homosexuality I assured her that we both violated the same order and that I was unconcerned about her homosexuality. A few years later another Marine admitted to me, after I was honorably discharged, that he was homosexual. I had worked closely with the second Marine, shared a locker room with him, and therefore I’m rather certain that we had showered following physical training at the same time. Looking back on this I’m still not concerned that he was homosexual. My lack of concern aside there will be some individuals who will not be comfortable showering with a homosexual; however this should not be the primary issue.
In the Marine Corps a policy exists that family members are not permitted to serve in the same unit. The reason for this policy is due to morale associated with combat. As a Marine I would feel less comfortable going into war where the men to my left and right are brothers. If such a situation were to occur than I would feel that the brothers would be more concerned with the safety of each other rather the safety of every other member of the unit. Feelings of this nature cause units to be less effective and put everyone in the unit at a greater risk because less trust exists between the members of the unit. The same policy exists regarding spouses in the Marine Corps. It is frequent to see dating within the work place, and an administrative official in the Marine Corps is no different. However when two Marines are married as a result of their relationship one is transferred to another unit in order to ensure that unit integrity remains intact.
If homosexuals are allowed to serve openly in the military, and I’m rather certain that a significant percentage of the military is homosexual, than situations in combat can arise where two members of a combat unit may have more loyalty to each other than to the rest of the unit. Another difficultly is that if two members of a unit are in a relationship and one individual within the relationship feels that the other is cheating within the same unit than the possibility arises that the jaded lover may place other members of the unit at undue risk due to his suspicions of infidelity. This becomes extremely dangerous when fighting a war where combatants are difficult to identify and bombs can look like a teddy bear. If the military permit homosexuals to serve openly, than as a result the military would be forced to transfer individuals in a relationship; specifically when those individuals are members of a combat unit. This would put an unnecessary strain on the military as individuals would be moved far too frequently. This is not as large an issue when dealing with noncombat units. Could we allow homosexuals to serve in a manner similar to women, where they are not permitted to be in combat units?
The policy regarding homosexual military service is flawed, but is there a better alternative? Should congress be capable of creating a solution than more power to them, but we must remember that we are talking about a service which is completely voluntary. Due to the voluntary nature of the United States military can an individual force a change when they are not forced into service in the first place. And as for the legal suits being filed on behalf of the individuals who are honorably discharged from the military due to their homosexuality it is important to remember that they also volunteered. Not only did they volunteer, but they also signed a contract in which the policies governing the United States military are outlined. The individuals signed a contract, which they violated by not hiding their homosexuality, and as a result the government should be legally allowed to void such a contract when the individual service member did not fulfill the requirements of the contract.
