Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

July 8, 2009

Lt Choi/Lt Col Fehrenbach/DADT/posts/interviews

Factoids re: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT):

• 65,000 active servicemembers gay and lesbian Americans currently serving on active duty
• 12,500 discharged because of DADT
• At least 265 discharged since barry could do something about it

• Discharged because of DADT in the last 5 years:

• 800 mission-critical troops
• At least 59 Arabic linguists
• 9 Farsi linguists

• 1994-2003 financial cost of DADT = $363.8 M
• More than 100 retired admirals and generals support the repeal

And who are they replaced with? Convicted felons. (Source April 2008: AP)

• 2006 – 249 convicted felons admitted to Army, including 1 manslaughter, 2 sex crimes, 2 negligent or vehicular homicide, 1 terror threat.
• 2006 – 208 convicted felon admitted to Marines, including 1 sex crime, 2 terror threats (including bomb threats)
• 2006 – 48 convicted felons admitted to Navy — 3 terror or bomb threats

• 2007 – 180,000 recruits taken in by all branches of Armed Forces
• 2007 – 18% of recruits needed conduct waivers

• 2007 – 511 convicted felons admitted to the Army — a bit more than half were various types of thefts, ranging from burglaries to bad checks and stolen cars, 130 were for drug offenses, 2 manslaughter, 5 sex crimes, 3 negligent or vehicular homicide, 2 terror threats (including bomb threats)
• 2007 – 350 convicted felon admitted to Marines — 235 various types of thefts, 63 were for assaults or robberies that may also have included use of a weapon, 1 manslaughter, 4 sex crimes, 5 terror threats (including bomb threats)
• 2007 – Zero convicted felons admitted to Air Force
• 2007 – 42 convicted felons in the Navy — thefts or drug and drunk driving convictions 2 terror or bomb threats

• Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. JONATHAN WITHINGTON: “Waivers are used judiciously and granted only after a thorough review.”
• Sexual crime convicted felon, ok.
• 18 year, 9-time decorated USAF fighter pilot with 400 combat hours, not.

• Lt Col WITHINGTON: “low unemployment, a protracted war on terror, a decline in propensity to serve” make recruiting a challenge.
• Manslaughter convicted felon, ok.
• West Point Grad, Arab linguist with two tours in Iraq and willing to do a third, not.

• Army Lt. Gen. JAMES D THURMAN, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations:
• We are growing the Army fast and there are some waivers; we know that. It hasn’t alarmed us yet….the better part of making soldiers is about leadership. Somebody invested in me, you know. That’s the beauty of the United States Army. It’s about leadership … You’ve got to give people an opportunity to serve.

And those who have been leaders are discharged?