Army overturns reprimands of 3 Wanat officers - Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times
Three officers given letters of reprimand for the deadly July 13, 2008, battle in Wanat, Afghanistan, have been exonerated and the letters withdrawn, the Army announced June 23.

What are your views about the US Army's "don't ask, don't tell" policy? This 16-year-old policy, enacted in 1993, resulted in over 13,000 gay and lesbian service members being kicked out of the military. In fact, it has been said that more service members were dishonorably discharged due to this law than before the law came into fruition.

Here is my personal experience with the policy. After you read it, feel free to leave a comment below about yours.

I can recall the first time the "don't ask, don't tell" policy hit home for me. I was 17 years old, and a recruiter (Sgt. Mayo, I think his name was) came to my parent's apartment in Queens to have me sign paperwork to get into the Army. I sat down on my parents' pink couch and leaned over the paper. I noticed that two sections had been crossed out in pen, and when I read over them, my mouth literally dropped open.

The first had questions about communism. The second had two or three questions about being gay - whether you had ever done anything with someone of the same sex. When the recruiter noticed me pausing, he thought I hadn't understood the questions and explained that it was no longer necessary to answer them. I still took the time to read through the questions. I was a little shocked - and at the same time relieved. I did not know whether I could have lied on those questions if I had to answer them.

My second experience with the policy was at the processing station, where they completed a full physical. I sat down on a bench waiting for a group checkup and noticed the poster on the wall. It said that no one was allowed to ask you about your sexual preference, and that you could not mention anything about it if you were gay.

The third experience took place in Fort Jackson, South Carolina at the Reception Battalion (where you go before Basic Training begins). This is where the Army further sorts out individuals who cannot enter Basic Training. Some recruits stay around the reception battalion until they lose enough weight to go into Basic.

One night, before we had received our uniforms, the drill sergeants had us sitting in a circle. They went over several things, and then asked if there was anything we "needed to tell them." I turned to the girl next to me and asked if she knew what they were talking about. She said, "You know...if you're gay or something."

Unfortunately, my run-ins with the policy never ended throughout my 8 year career (4 years active duty, 4 years National Guard) in the Armed Forces. These single instances were scary to me, but they were not as bad as the overall experience - having to lie, not being able to vent to friends... It made a stressful job even more difficult to handle. The worst part for me was that some people, including supervisors, had a clue about me - which meant that I was still discriminated against - except in secrecy. And, more importantly, having to hide my identity kept me from building the strong, trusting relationships that are so necessary in battle.

Due to these experiences, I strongly believe that the don't ask, don't tell policy should be repealed - and that being gay in the Army should no longer be "illegal." There are thousands of gay service members who are losing their lives to protect us. Shouldn't we at least allow them the comfort of being themselves? I look forward to your comments below.

Despite difficulties with the "don't ask don't tell" policy, I did manage to get an honorable discharge from the US Army in 1999. Since then, I've made it my goal to help as many people as possible to improve their lives. Currently, I'm teaching people how to make money on the internet. You can find out more about me at http://www.YourWebProsperity.com.