Shalikashvili: Gays in the Military? No Problem

Clinton's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General John Shalikashvili, argues for accepting gays in the military in today's WaPo:

But it is not just foreign militaries that show service by openly gay individuals works. The U.S. military itself has had successful experiences. Enforcement of the ban was suspended without problems during the Persian Gulf War, and there were no reports of angry departures. A majority of U.S. service members say they know or believe that someone in their unit is gay, according to a 2006 Zogby International poll, and most of those who know of openly gay peers report no detriment to morale or cohesion. A recent study co-authored by Laura Miller of Rand Corp. found no correlation between a unit's readiness and whether known gays serve in it. And last year, four retired flag and general officers studied all available evidence and found that allowing gays to serve posed no risk to force readiness.

While the proper timing of repealing "don't ask, don't tell" remains uncertain, it is evident to me that a policy change is inevitable. More than three-quarters of the public favors the change. Polls show that even a majority of Republicans support allowing openly gay people to serve. Within the military, the climate has changed dramatically since 1993. Conversations I've held with service members make clear that, while the military remains a traditional culture, that tradition no longer requires banning open service by gays. There will undoubtedly be some teething pains, but I have no doubt our leadership can handle it.

And say, guys, why don't you go to the SLDN site and sign the petition to the Secretary of the Air Force on behalf of about-to-be-shitcanned Col. Victor Fehrenbach. Sure, the petition won't do any good; but the more letters, emails, phone calls we produce on every issue, the more we ramp up the pressure.

As we've seen today, just this week the community put on some heat, and we got some response from the Administration. Keep it up guys, and don't back down. We've got to earn our rights - nobody, but nobody, is going to just hand them to us.

Do something.

Col. Fehrenbach, war hero and military outcast