During 25 years of active duty, I’m certain I’ve served with homosexuals; 10 years with local law enforcement, I know I’ve served with homosexuals.

Those homosexuals I’ve worked with do a good job. However, those folks have chosen to be homosexuals. Soldiers who are black, white, males or females never had a choice.

When a group of heterosexual scientists provides empirical data that an individual is predisposed toward homosexuality, that’s different. Then they should enjoy the status of a protected class. But that hasn’t happened.

Choice aside, look at the costs. There will be additional cost to our heath care system. Will the Department of Defense recognize that several states now authorize civil unions? Post housing now becomes an issue. If DOD doesn’t recognize these unions, that will be the next issue. The Uniform Code of Military Justice will have to be adjusted. These things cost money.

Let’s look at the soldier’s reaction. While the American soldier is most adaptable to his environment, it won’t be an easy sell. There will be problems for commanders. We’re in the middle of a war; something like this won’t help. Never having served in the military, the president doesn’t understand that the military is different from the civilian world. We have to be different; there are no jobs in the civilian world like ours. A number of past presidents have served in the military and understand the difference. The president who instituted the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy and the current president haven’t served at our level.

If a person wants to be homosexual, fine, that’s his decision, but don’t ask for special consideration.

For the president to impose this political decision on the military is wrong. We endure enough political decisions without one more.

Maj. David JunghansBaghdad

Migrated