I’m so sick of everyone thinking they need to be my filter. Let me decide what I think is funny or morally corrupt ("Sexist strip makes job tougher," letter, April 16).

I know what the Army expects of me, because it has provided a clear standard and trained my fellow soldiers and me well. The policies put in place by our superiors are not there to change how we think. They are imposed on us to control our actions and enforce discipline. Regardless of if I think a homosexual is flaming or have "mountainous terrain" thoughts, I can control what comes out of my mouth and my actions toward others while maintaining a professional performance.

"Gunston Street" is a comic strip that I find accurately reflects the modern soldier (in most cases, not all). The letter writer [could] use these strips she thinks are so offensive as a training tool. The other option is to not read the comic strip but, either way, don’t try to control what I read. As the drill sergeant in the movie "Stripes" stated, "Lighten up, Francis."

Sgt. 1st Class Brian StakeContingency Operating Base Q-West, Iraq