The Urgent Need for Common Sense

“The number of U.S. troops diagnosed by the military with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) jumped nearly 50 percent in 2007 over the previous year,” the Washington Post’s Ann Scott Tyson reported this morning, citing Pentagon data. The dramatic increase is concurrent with longer and repeated combat tours that increasing numbers of men and women are required to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As the United States continues to wage war on two fronts, the need for military personnel increases. As a consequence, the military has taken extraordinary steps to expand its recruiting universe and retain trained service members. Convicted felons are granted moral waivers, soldiers with serious medical conditions are sent back to the Middle East, educational standards have fallen as signing bonuses have increased – all in an effort to find enough men and women to fight our country’s battles.

And yet the U.S. Congress does not allow the armed forces to recruit one particular class of Americans, simply because they are lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Because of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” 12,000 gay service members have been dismissed out of hand. Those who remain in uniform must carry the extra burden of extended tours, more frequent deployments, and the increased risks of physical and psychological damage. When will common sense prevail? When will Congress repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?”

Click here to urge your member of Congress to join the movement to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Everyone benefits when everyone is included.

-Victor Maldonado

Military Recruits Felons While Discharging Gays

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today released data showing a dramatic rise in the number of moral waivers issued to recruits joining the Army and Marine Corps. The number of waivers granted to recruits convicted of manslaughter, rape, kidnapping and making terrorist threats, doubled between 2006 and 2007. During that same time, the Pentagon continued discharging service members under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law banning lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel from serving openly in the military.

This data shines a bright light on the outrageousness and absurdity of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." On the one hand, the Pentagon is discharging highly-qualified, honest, law-abiding men and women because they are gay, while on the other hand granting waivers to rapists, killers, kidnappers and terrorists. Repealing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" will reduce the need to grant felony waivers.

Keeping "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" on the books hardly helps the military’s personnel crisis. In fact, if Congress got rid of the law there would a need for fewer waivers. Click here to learn more.

-Aubrey Sarvis

8000 Rap Sheets; 100 Felons

Last night's CBS Evening News had an eye-opening report on just how low the military will go to fill its ranks. According to CBS, among the recent recruits for the U.S. Army, 8000 had some sort of criminal background and 100 of those were convicted felons.

"The number of incoming soldiers with prior felony arrests or convictions has more than tripled in the past five years," correspondent Kimberly Dozier reported.

"In order for the Army to meet its quota, which is going up … they have to resort to giving, taking more and more chances on people," said Lawrence Korb of the Center for American Progress (and an SLDN advisory board member). "The stakes are very high. You're going to give these people lethal weapons… so you better be damn sure that this man or woman has the self-discipline and the strength to be able to use that weapon only when he or she must."

Colonel Sheila Hickman told CBS that "We've always been an Army that's been known to give patriotic citizens second and third chances."

Unless, of course, you happen to be gay.

While 8000 recruits were given 'moral waivers' to enter military service, 11,000 perfectly well-qualified troops were fired because they happen to be lesbian, gay or bisexual. Nearly 800 of those had 'mission-critical' skills, including more than 300 with language training. But what most of them didn't have was a criminal record.

Shouldn't that be a good thing?

As long as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" stays on the books, the Pentagon will continue shooting itself in the foot, day after day. How many more rap sheets will have to fill DoD filing cabinets before military leaders speak up and demand a change that allows them to recruit better troops, even if they happen to be gay?

- Steve Ralls

Today on Kojo Nnambi

Be sure to tune into WAMU in Washington, DC at noon today. The Kojo Nnambi Show will talk about moral waivers, military recruitment and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

From the show's website:

Faced with a diminishing pool of recruits, the U.S. military has offered enlistment bonuses and lowered some academic requirements. Now a recent report reveals a spike in so-called "moral waivers"- granted to prospective soldiers with criminal records. We hear how these waivers work, and why some observers are crying foul.

The segment will feature Dr. Aaron Belkin of the Michael D. Palm Center and Beth Asch, senior economist at the Rand Corporation.

If you're in Washington, the program airs on 88.5 FM. And, you can listen live online at the WAMU website.

- Steve Ralls