'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is damaging U.S. military

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By G. Christopher Hammet - Special to the San Antonio Express-News

As a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel physician who served for 23 years on active duty and in the Texas Air National Guard, I have seen the disasters the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” law has created in service members' lives. The law is a sad relic and should be scrapped this year.

“Don't Ask, Don't Tell” encourages dishonesty for thousands of young Americans ready and willing to serve, while discouraging even more from enlisting or remaining in our military. At a time when our military is stretched thin in the midst of waging two wars, and record numbers of felons and high school dropouts are recruited, we waste training time and dollars by discharging some of our best troops for reasons that have no effect on their performance or units.

Former U.S. Army Sgt. Darren Manzella served two tours of duty in Iraq as a decorated medic. Manzella was assigned to the 182nd Field Artillery Battalion Aid Station, Fort Hood. From 2004 to 2007 he treated soldiers and civilians in Iraq while under fire, earning several awards including the Combat Medical Badge. Then in 2008 Manzella was discharged under “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” when he confirmed what his fellow troops already knew — that he is gay.

Ask any military member what they value in their fellow troops, and the basic answer is that they know their job, show up to do their job, and have integrity. For the 18- and 19-year-olds joining the military, sexual orientation is not an issue.

The debate over “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” occurred when they were 2 or 3 years old. Yet every day the policy depletes the ranks of skilled patriots just like Sgt. Manzella. The ban is a constant drain on manpower and weakens national defense, costing up to two service members a day.

From my own military experience, I learned that replacing service members — especially mission-critical highly trained personnel — takes an amazing amount of time and money. The cost of training a fighter or helicopter pilot, surgeon or special ops troop is staggering. A Blue Ribbon Commission Report from 2006, in fact, found that implementation of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” cost the American taxpayer at least $363 million from 1994 to 2003.

The fact that many discharged under “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” are later recruited to come back to the military under civilian status to do the same job, at many times higher pay, demonstrates that gay people do not impact unit cohesion, morale and good order.

Attitudes in the armed forces toward honest service have changed dramatically, especially among the next generation of military top brass. A 2006 Zogby poll found that 73 percent of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are comfortable serving with lesbians and gays. A majority say they know or believe that someone in their unit is gay. Many have served beside British and other coalition forces that repealed their bans on service years ago with positive outcomes.

Opponents of open and honest service are stuck in a vacuum. When President Harry Truman signed his executive order allowing integration of African Americans in 1948, the military did not see any of the dire predictions about harm to retention and recruiting and morale come about. Indeed, the opposite was true. When the service academies where opened to female cadets, our military became a stronger institution.

Now is the time for Texans to urge their Washington representatives and senators to co-sponsor HR 1283 (the Military Readiness Enhancement Act), which would overturn the ban.

Congress and the president should stand up for American values and give our military service members the respect they deserve by repealing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” this fall.

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