East Coast White Unity

  I served with several gays while in the Navy. One was my immediate supervisor. Another was my best friend – I even served as his confirmation sponsor when he converted to Catholicism – until he transferred stateside and eventually got kicked out of the military (he never stated why, but I suspected that I knew). I, therefore, have no qualms about homosexuals serving within the armed forces. I do not support their lifestyle and think that it is an abomination of God’s nature, but if they want to serve – honorably serve – their country then I can probably live with the present “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy of President Clinton.

    It is allowing gays to serve openly while in uniform that I feel is a serious mistake. And since neither Congress nor the military cares to hear about my reservations, I will make them available here for the general public to digest.

1. Cohabitation. I served during the era when women serving aboard ships was just beginning. My first command, the U.S.S. Jason AR-8 was a non-combat vessel and so we had several dozen females aboard from strikers on through mid-level officers. Many were hard-working sailors. Others wanted an opportunity to escape from their terrible civilian lives. And, yes, there were at least five lesbians that I knew about.  What made things difficult was the premium that was placed upon living space. Bringing women aboard sacrificed the ship’s diving locker among other disruptions. Then there was the problem with the male-female interchange. Numerous women became pregnant during our two-week voyage to Japan, for instance.

    Gays serving openly within the military brings about similar issues. Where do they bunk? Which latrine/head facilities do they use? Will sailors have to add “Gay on deck!” to their cries of “Female on deck!” when entering other berthing compartments? Then there is the distinct issue of wearing uniforms. What if a gay male demands to wear female uniforms? Besides living accommodations, will homosexuals therefore require a completely new uniform of their own? With the floodgates open, a whole pantheon of expectations can arise.

2. Benefits. Open homosexuality leads to equal representation. Will the military be forced to recognize gay unions/marriages whereas opposite-sex cohabitation is usually grounds for, by comparison, losing security clearances and prime jobs? What about the high-percentage of failed gay relationships? Will taxpayers fund a disproportionate level of benefits for ex-spouses of American service personnel. What about military chaplains? Will Catholic and Lutheran clergy be forced to perform ceremonies against the basic tenets of their faith – and how will they reconcile defending the First Amendment while breaking it?

3. Morale. Times might have changed a bit since I served a quarter of a century ago, but back then just about everything was tolerated – except homosexuality. We put up with many, many drug addicts because officers always seemed to find a way of attempting to rehabilitate offenders. With gays, it was a different story. While not exactly “open” at that time, their mannerisms, preferences, and off-site activities were an embarrassment to the fine men and women they worked with. Part of this problem was that they were never quite sure who was “gay” and who was not, so they explored. This led to many being beaten and nearly chucked overboard. With heterosexuals, there was not any “misidentification”. By allowing gays to serve openly, one is asking for trouble as they will, by necessity, distinguish themselves from the rank and file.

4. Extended Affirmative Action. About every twenty or thirty years, the progressives try to segregate society further. It was the progressives (President Wilson, I believe) who segregated the military after advances earned from the Revolutionary War on through the Civil War and beyond. If homosexuals are permitted to serve openly in the military, where will it end? Will polygamists be next? What about NAMBLA charters at military bases? The best thing about the military is that it is a structured, disciplined organization that turns scruffy civilians into polished soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen. To dismantle this structure just to permit yet another minority to have equality dismisses the very equality of serving as a functioning unit. And what happens when the next Maj. Hasan decides to kill at a gay gathering in the name of intolerant Allah?

    I could literally come up with hundreds of reasons on why gays serving openly within the military is a bad idea, but the above should be sufficient to stop this fiasco in its tracks. Let gays serve, if you must, but do not provide them with special recognition or preferences. If they are disruptive, then do what is done with every other disruptive service member – transfer them out of the way or discharge them completely. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is bad enough, just wait until the government tries to redefine 234 years of military tradition.

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R.J. Godlewski is an independent counterterrorism consultant, the director of the private International Nuclear Emergency Response Team [INERT], and the author of several novels, commentaries, and professional articles. He is also the author and architect of the Web-based Independent Counterterrorist training program. He is currently working on his B.A. in Intelligence Studies at American Military University where his concentration includes Middle East terrorism and improvised explosive devices. He is a member of the National Military Intelligence Association, the Golden Key International Honour Society,  and is  a veteran of both the United States Navy and Navy Reserve.

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