Gays in the military

We need Arab linguistic specialists, and a pretty good number of them happen to be gay (there will be no jokes about their cunning). For Rudy Guiliani to claim he can fight the War or Terror better than any other candidate, and to respond "Well, we've got more important things to worry about" when Wolf Blitzer called him on it last night...he sounded like just another womanizing dilletante poseur.

 

I wonder if this is even an issue. T_B_F_, have you ever experienced any problems? Have you ever spoken with someone that was openly gay? I ask because I'm curious about the answers as I have never served myself.

Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. But, I'm sure that others feel differently.

 

So why does linguistics lean homosexual?

 

Calling BS on what? The problems of men and women serving together?

 

I am actually quite interested in linguistics -- not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

It's not an issue, Pastor. Or, at least it's not been an issue in my career path. I've never experienced any issues regarding this policy, but I've heard of a couple at Bragg (82nd Infantry Division) ... some soft-core gay porn, a few guys who had spread some STDs (not that heterosexuals don't) in the barracks, etc.

Oh, wait. I have been in a unit where someone got kicked out. A girl in my unit got caught going down on another girl on a deployment after 9/11 -- inside the tent with other folks around. Yeah, that caused some problems. Her buddy, the senior NCO in the group, tried to cover up for her and he got kicked out, too. About two months before he retired.

Add: And, she and her friend were repeat offenders. They didn't stop when their tentmates complained.

 

I'm calling BS that he's never seen homosexuality cause a problem within a unit. He was stationed at Bragg and graduated from West Point. Yeah, he's seen -- right or wrong -- problems.

 

Gotcha TBF, I guess I didn't read that clearly.

 

TBF -

Here's the quote: "I am not aware of any problems in the military stemming solely from any gay serviceperson being gay."

I take that to mean that he's seen no problems arise from a soldier simply being identified as gay.

What you're describing are acts of sexual indiscretion. One assumes there are plenty of those to be found in the armed services, whether straight, gay or otherwise.

 

I stand corrected. I guess I mised that "solely."

Add: But, on second thought, simply being identified as a homosexual in units with as much testosterone as can be found in the infantry, can absolutely cause problems. Not necessarily with the homosexual soldier, but problems, nonetheless.