Stories From the Frontlines: New Campaign Shows Need for DADT Repeal
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Stories From the Frontlines: New Campaign Shows Need for DADT Repeal
This week, the group Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) launched a new media campaign called "Stories from the Frontlines" that aims to underscore the urgent need for congressional action and presidential leadership in repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), the military's ban on openly gay service personnel.
As the markup of the Defense Authorization bill in the Senate and House Armed Services Committees draws closer, a bill that LGBT rights advocates see as the best vehicle for the DADT repeal, SLDN will share a series of open letters addressed to the President that come from people that have been effected by the ban.
Therein, SLDN hopes to urge the President to include the repeal in the Administration's defense budget recommendations, while also trying to gather momentum so as to find the 15 votes that will be necessary for the Senate Armed Services Committee to include the DADT repeal in the bill.
Below is Monday's letter from U.S. Air Force Veteran Mike Almy who, since his discharge, has continued to be a strong voice advocating for the repeal:
News reports currently indicate that the Obama Administration appears to be stalling so as to put off repealing DADT until next year, but as the above letter shows, the repeal can not come soon enough for service personnel like Major Mike Almy or Captain Joan Darrah who continue to be thrown out of the military for no other reason than their sexuality, or are forced to leave because of the strain that DADT has on their relationships and health.
443
This brings us neatly back to SLDN's new media campaign "Stories from the Frontlines" and the importance of pressing for those 15 votes in the Senate Armed Services Committee. I'll continue to bring you links to the letters from the SLDN campaign as and when they are posted.
In the mean time, SLDN encourages you to share those stories by posting links to Facebook and Twitter and other social media sites, and also asks you to take the following action if you have been effected by DADT or want to directly support the repeal:
Share Your DADT Story:
Care2 Petitions:
As the markup of the Defense Authorization bill in the Senate and House Armed Services Committees draws closer, a bill that LGBT rights advocates see as the best vehicle for the DADT repeal, SLDN will share a series of open letters addressed to the President that come from people that have been effected by the ban.
Therein, SLDN hopes to urge the President to include the repeal in the Administration's defense budget recommendations, while also trying to gather momentum so as to find the 15 votes that will be necessary for the Senate Armed Services Committee to include the DADT repeal in the bill.
Below is Monday's letter from U.S. Air Force Veteran Mike Almy who, since his discharge, has continued to be a strong voice advocating for the repeal:
April 26, 2010
President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
If you end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), I’d re-enlist the day you sign repeal into law.
For thirteen years, I served in the United States Air Force where I attained the rank of major before I was discharged under DADT.
As the Senate Armed Services Committee considers including repeal in the Defense Authorization bill, we’re very close -- just two or three votes -- to passing repeal in committee. I ask for you to voice your support to put us over the top.
I come from a family with a rich legacy of military service. My father is a West Point graduate who taught chemistry at the Air Force Academy, flew helicopters in Vietnam, and ultimately retired as a senior officer from the Air Force. One of my uncles retired as a Master Gunnery Sergeant from the Marine Corps, with service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Another uncle served in the Army in Korea.
Growing up, I didn't really know what civilians did, I just knew I would follow in my father's footsteps and become a military officer.
I joined Air Force ROTC in 1988 and was awarded a scholarship. I earned my jump wings in 1991. In 1992, I graduated from ROTC in the top 10% of all graduates nationwide. In 1993, I went on active duty, just as DADT was becoming a law.
Stationed in Oklahoma, I was named officer of the year for my unit of nearly 1,000 people. Later, I was one of six officers selected from the entire Air force to attend Professional Military Education at Quantico, Virginia.
During my career, I deployed to the Middle East four times. In my last deployment, I led a team of nearly 200 men and women to operate and maintain the systems used to control the air space over Iraq. We came under daily mortar attacks, one of which struck one of my Airmen and also caused significant damage to our equipment. Towards the end of this deployment to Iraq, I was named one of the top officers in my career field for the entire Air Force.
In the stress of a war zone, the Air Force authorized us to use our work email accounts for “personal or morale purposes” because private email accounts were blocked for security.
Shortly after I left Iraq -- during a routine search of my computer files -- someone found that my “morale” was supported by the person I loved -- a man.
The email -- our modern day letter home -- was forwarded to my commander.
I was relieved of my duties, my security clearance was suspended and part of my pay was terminated.
In my discharge proceeding, several of my former troops wrote character reference letters for me, including one of my squadron commanders. Their letters expressed their respect for me as an officer, their hope to have me back on the job and their shock at how the Air Force was treating me.
Approximately a year after I was relieved of my duties, my Wing Commander recommended I be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, even though the Air Force was actively pursuing my discharge.
But instead, after 16 months, I was given a police escort off the base as if I were a common criminal or a threat to national security. The severance pay I received was half of what it would have been had I been separated for any other reason.
Despite this treatment, my greatest desire is still to return to active duty as an officer and leader in the United States Air Force, protecting the freedoms of a nation that I love; freedoms that I myself was not allowed to enjoy while serving in the military.
Mr. President, I want to serve. Please fulfill your promise to repeal DADT and give me that chance.
Thank you,
Major Mike Almy
United States Air Force
Tuesday's letter comes from Captain Joan Darrah. The former Navy captain writes about how, following September 11, 2001, her perspective on DADT and how she felt serving under the ban as a lesbian in a long-term relationship, was altered. You can read her story here.
News reports currently indicate that the Obama Administration appears to be stalling so as to put off repealing DADT until next year, but as the above letter shows, the repeal can not come soon enough for service personnel like Major Mike Almy or Captain Joan Darrah who continue to be thrown out of the military for no other reason than their sexuality, or are forced to leave because of the strain that DADT has on their relationships and health.
443
That is the number of personnel that the group Servicemembers United calculates were discharged under DADT in fiscal year 2009, bringing the 17-year-total to 13,425.
It has to be noted that 443 is a record low. While this is not likely to be a true reflection of the actual number of discharges as Servicemembers United has learned that the manner in which these stats are compiled does not take into account discharges from the Reserves or National Guard, the 443 figure does show a downward trend in discharges as military commanders continue to selectively apply this antiquated law during times of military action so as to retain gay and lesbian personnel, thus showing that the reasons for keeping the law for the sake of military readiness can't be as compelling as some would have us believe.
It has to be noted that 443 is a record low. While this is not likely to be a true reflection of the actual number of discharges as Servicemembers United has learned that the manner in which these stats are compiled does not take into account discharges from the Reserves or National Guard, the 443 figure does show a downward trend in discharges as military commanders continue to selectively apply this antiquated law during times of military action so as to retain gay and lesbian personnel, thus showing that the reasons for keeping the law for the sake of military readiness can't be as compelling as some would have us believe.
Keeping the Pressure On
With groups like GetEqual staging frequent actions to draw support for the repeal, including holding a sit-in at Senator John McCain's office, and veterans such as the ever eloquent Autumn Sandeen (who, as a trans veteran, has written a letter of her own to President Obama) and the indomitable Lt. Dan Choi both taking action alongside a group of other veterans by chaining themselves to the White House fence (Choi for the second time), the call for a repeal this year seems to echo louder and louder every day. And there may be a sign that this call is getting through.
With groups like GetEqual staging frequent actions to draw support for the repeal, including holding a sit-in at Senator John McCain's office, and veterans such as the ever eloquent Autumn Sandeen (who, as a trans veteran, has written a letter of her own to President Obama) and the indomitable Lt. Dan Choi both taking action alongside a group of other veterans by chaining themselves to the White House fence (Choi for the second time), the call for a repeal this year seems to echo louder and louder every day. And there may be a sign that this call is getting through.
Staff for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated to DC Agenda on Monday that "It is the Speaker's intention that a vote will be taken this year on [Don't Ask, Don't Tell] in the House." DC Agenda goes on to say that this news appears encouraging given that Pelosi is not in the habit of bringing legislation to the floor if the legislation lacks sufficient votes for passage. Yet, as the article warns, this news does not mean that this is a time to become complacent.
Speaking in the same article, Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said:
Speaking in the same article, Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said:
"The reality is – we are still short of some critical votes. We don't have the votes today. We're on the brink of getting them, and we need help from leadership on the Hill and from the president himself." – Read more here.
This brings us neatly back to SLDN's new media campaign "Stories from the Frontlines" and the importance of pressing for those 15 votes in the Senate Armed Services Committee. I'll continue to bring you links to the letters from the SLDN campaign as and when they are posted.
In the mean time, SLDN encourages you to share those stories by posting links to Facebook and Twitter and other social media sites, and also asks you to take the following action if you have been effected by DADT or want to directly support the repeal:
Share Your DADT Story:
Write to Your Members of Congress:
http://www.sldn.org/WriteCongressCare2 Petitions:
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