http://www.q-notes.com/top2007/top04_071407.htmlThe scandal of firing these translators is even worse than we thought. Until this article I hadn't seen the reason these people were fired.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A recent report confirms that more Arabic linguists have been fired by the military under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that requires separation when a commander learns a service member is gay or lesbian. The linguists were investigated after military officials listened in on conversations conducted on a high-level government computer system, which allows intelligence personnel to communicate with troops on the frontlines.
One linguist was serving in Iraq with a Marine combat unit when he was discharged. A military source reported that he was known to be gay but was allowed to serve and was only formally investigated after an Inspector General audit obtained language from the computer chat rooms that apparently suggested he might be gay. Enlisted with the Navy, he was serving with the Marines in the “individual augmentation” program, which allows the military to pull talent from whatever branch they need, in order to fill shortfalls such as that of the highly trained Arabic linguists. Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” the military has fired at least 58t Arabic linguists.
Stephen Benjamin, who agreed to talk to researchers at the Michael D. Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was discharged from the Army this March from Ft. Gordon, Ga. Benjamin, 23, attended the Defense Language Institute, the military’s premiere training school for foreign linguists. Graduating in the top 10 percent of his class, he scored a 3.3 on his Defense Language Proficiency Test, well above average. He then became a Cryptologic interpretor, responsible for collecting and analyzing signals and assigned targets to support combatant commanders and other tactical units. Arabic interpreters work with intelligence agencies to translate target cables from stateside and foreign military bases as well as providing critical translation for combat and logistics units on the frontlines.
In October 2006, the Army Inspector General conducted an audit of a government communications system and investigated 70 service members for abusing the system. Benjamin said he was called in for questioning, and was asked about a comment he made in which he said, “That was so gay — the good gay, not the bad one.” Out of the 70 people, a small number, including Benjamin, were eventually investigated for violations of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Although he is not sure which comments prompted the investigation that led to his discharge, he said he had referred to social plans in passing that would have revealed he is gay.
He said that some of the worst violations of the government computer system involved people having cyber sex on the system, but those people retained their jobs. emphasis mine
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I have to admit I figured when this story broke there likely was some sort of sex involved here. Or at least some sort of public statements. But no, not even close. Well actually there was sex involved but apparently that was okey dokey. I would still be appalled if Mr. Benjamin had been seperated for having conscentual sex but for this, are you kidding me? Just how many tax payer dollars were flushed down the toilet of anti gay bigotry? We have 9 GOP candidates who are willing to torture, bomb, and pillage to fight Islamofacists but who are unwilling to tolerate a gay man with social plans who can translate Arabic.
We have lost 58 Arabic translators. 58 people, upon whom we have spent thousands maybe tens of thousands of dollars each, and we lost them for having social plans. Last I checked adultery was against the UCMJ. Were all the people having cybersex single? If not, why weren't they seperated? Even if you don't think gays are morally equivalent of heterosexuals, the sheer waste of money should outrage you, not to mention the grave risk of not having enough Arabic translators when our enemy speaks Arabic.
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