Lazy bastard.
DADT discharges up, group says
by Roger Brigham
Bay Area Reporter
August 17, 2006
For the first time since the September 11 terrorist attacks, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" discharges from the U.S. military rose in 2005.
Data gathered by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network from Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Department of Defense sources shows 742 DADT discharges in 2005, up from 668 discharges in 2004.
"The time has come for the Pentagon to call on Congress to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" said SLDN Executive Director C. Dixon Osburn. "The law deprives our nation of thousands of skilled men and women who could be instrumental in fighting the war on terror. Our national security suffers because of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"
After President Bill Clinton initiated DADT, discharges under the policy rose six out of seven years, climbing from 617 in 1994 to a record 1,273 in 2001. In 2002 there was a dramatic drop to 906 – the fewest number of DADT discharges in six years – and the number of discharges continued to drop modestly in 2003 (787 discharges) and 2004 (668).The largest rise in discharges occurred in the Army – 386 in 2005, up from 325 the previous year.
More:
http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/press/DADTDischargesUpGroupSays.htmlSee also:
From The Log Cabin Republickers
Issue: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Don't Work
Don't Ask, Don't Tell does not work and should be repealed. The United States military needs the best, most qualified people serving and defending our freedom, and there is no justifiable reason to prevent gay and lesbian Americans from serving openly and honestly in the Armed Forces.
<snip>
B.) The "witch hunts," improper investigations, and harassment under Don't Ask, Don't Tell is potentially leading to the discharge of heterosexual service members and undermining unit cohesion and morale. In 2002, those aged 18-25 made up only 35% of the Air Force but accounted for 83% of Don't Ask, Don't Tell discharges
and this trend has continued into 2005. Investigations, like the one at the Defense Language Institute in California, can divide units and decrease morale.
C.) DADT is hurting the military's ability to recruit individuals because it makes the U.S. Armed Forces seem outdated and archaic. At some high schools and colleges, recruiters are being protested or rejected by students and administrators because of DADT.
D.) Tens of thousands of qualified service members are being kept out or kicked out of the military even with serious recruiting problems in the army. Instead of getting the most qualified recruits, the Army is lowering standards for new recruits to make up for the shortage. 10% of new army recruits do not have a high school diploma and 2% of new recruits scored in the lowest acceptable range on the standardized screening test. This also comes a time when the Pentagon is asking Congress to raise the age of enlistees to 42. Moreover, because of the troop shortage, some recruiters are cutting corners to get more people enlisting, adding up to a 480 recruiting standards violations so far.
<snip>
4. DADT costs tens of millions of dollars each year to enforce.
The GAO put the cost of the policy during the last ten years at $191 million. However, as the report noted, some additional costs could not be estimated. Other estimates put the price tag at $35 million a year. A blue ribbon panel of experts estimates the cost of DADT, so far, to be more that $363 million. The money used to enforce this policy could buy over 24,000 armored Humvees or other much needed equipment.
More:
http://online.logcabin.org/issues/logcabin/gays_in_the_military_overview.html
Also:
Don't ask, don't tell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_ask,_don't_tell
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
