Box Turtle: DADT Discharges Continue

[bluedawg12]

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/
DADT Discharges Continue
Jim Burroway
February 8th, 2009
The Kansas National Guard has discharged its first soldier under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”:

Amy Brian, who served nine years in the Guard, including a stint in Iraq, was investigated and “separated” last month after a civilian co-worker told authorities they had seen her kissing a woman in a Wal-Mart checkout line.

Brian joins almost 12,500 other lesbian, gay and bisexual service members discharged from 1994 to 2007.

Update: In a more detailed article from the Associated Press, Brian joined the Guard in 1991, serving until 1994. She re-enlisted in 2003 and was sent to Iraq.

During her first six months in Iraq, she was part of a maintenance crew at Camp Anaconda at Balad, working 12-hour shifts beside other American troops and civilians from other countries. She later was asked to narrate award ceremonies, write evaluations and do office work. “Everyone I went with (to Iraq) knew I was gay, and no one had a problem with it,” she said.

…But last July another gay Guardsman told Brian “somebody has it in for you” and recommended she delete her MySpace page, which indicated she was a lesbian.

All too often, DADT is nothing more than a weapon for revenge and incrimination. How does that help unit cohesion?