Air Force Community - Air Force Times

‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy has failed

On Nov. 30, I spoke on the Mall [in Washington, D.C.] at an event to honor the service of 12,000 patriots who had been discharged from our military under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law. These 12,000 patriots had volunteered to serve their nation and place themselves in harm’s way so that 300 million other Americans could live free.

They were well trained and serving honorably but were rejected by their military services because of their sexual preferences, which are legally protected in every other segment of our society. DADT is a failed policy on three counts: moral, humane and national security.

It is morally wrong because it legitimizes a politically expedient lie of omission that violates military values, such as trust, respect and integrity. What’s the effect of justifying lies of omission in other military affairs?

It is inhumane because we ask gays and lesbians to endure the hardships of military service and be subjected to the emotional pressure of being outed — forced into the shadows as second-class citizens by the institution they serve.

Finally, DADT is a threat to national security at the strategic level because one day, the 65,000 currently serving gays and lesbians might choose to out themselves, thus devastating military capabilities and readiness, to say nothing of a recruiting and training nightmare. At the tactical level, it creates a threat in that foreign agents could use the threat of outing gays and lesbians holding high security clearances to secure their cooperation.

Many of our senior leaders defend DADT by saying that “it’s working,” and that having gays and lesbians openly serve would hurt morale and unit cohesion.

I counter that it didn’t work for the 12,000 patriots discharged because of it, nor does it for the 65,000 currently serving. To the unit cohesion and morale argument, I counter that gays and lesbians serve openly and honorably in the militaries of all our major allies. Why does it work well for them?

I doubt that it’s because young American service members and their junior leaders lack the maturity, humanity and intelligence to serve with and lead gays and lesbians. Perhaps it is because we have a senior leadership that lacks the skill and/or the will to lead an all-volunteer force that, in fact, includes all.

Maj. Gen. Dennis Laich (ret.)

Dublin, Ohio