Gays/Women in the Military

The country has come a long way in recognizing that just because people may not fit our stereotypical definition of “normal,” it does not make those outsiders necessarily maladjusted or evil. Homosexuality has been recognized in many cultures, especially by the ancient Greeks, who accepted it as an integral part of their culture. However, most of the Christians I know avow that it is against the Bible, although we must acknowledge that there are many schools of thought on that subject. That is not the issue it once was. The real issue is gay marriage. The vast majority of Christians can only accept the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. America has come a long way in recognizing that gays have as much a right to live in our culture without fear of retribution. Many Americans are now willing to accept that many gays want to live in committed relationships, while governments and American companies recognize that gays can have committed relationships as deep as heterosexual partners by granting benefits previously available to only legally married couples. A number of studies after the presidential election of 2004 found that Americans no longer have the deep-seated fear of monogamous gay relationships – it’s the issue of gay marriage that has many people upset. Supporters of gay marriage accused these same people of being homophobic. That is just not true. The opponents of gay marriage invoke the bible as their authority for their opposition to gay marriage. Although it may seem asinine, many of these same people feel that if you accept marriage between two men or two women, what’s next, a marriage between a man and an animal? As ridiculous as that example may seem, the issue concerns then deeply.

Gays in the Military

When I served in the U.S. Army, we took our basic training in dilapidated barracks dating back to World War II. Our drill sergeant offered that we recruits had enthusiastically “volunteered” to repair the barracks in our off hours, unbeknownst to us of course until we were told of our commitment. Between the grueling training schedule and then working day and night and weekends making repairs, we worked or trained 7 days a week. The barracks was a 2-story open-bay building with one large “head” (or bathroom) with many urinals, commodes and a large shower room. Make no mistake – there are no partitions or doors in this area – no hint at privacy. Just watch the movie, “Full Metal Jacket,” to get an exact image of the barracks. After completing training on any day, up to 40 or 50 soldiers would pile into the shower area to remove the muck and filth from the day’s training. There was a strong likelihood that a number of these soldiers were gay, based on various estimates that up to 10% of the population is homosexual. If any of these gay people had made the slightest sexual overture in the shower, he would have been beaten to death. In the 1960s and 1970s, gays were still regarded as “queers,” ”fags” and other demeaning names. I want to put this in “politically incorrect” terms. Is there not a great deal of similarity between a gay, male soldier glancing over at my naked body or at my glancing over at a naked female soldier? Would we both not have the same sexual urges?

It would seem to me that this scenario applies whether we are talking about gay men or gay women.

I feel great compassion for the soldiers who undergo training today under President Bill Clinton’s politically correct “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy enacted in 1993. I can recall when this policy was first put into affect I was seated at a table swilling beer and eating pizza with five PhDs with whom I taught at a university in Southern California, perhaps the most liberal and open-minded region in the country. Having a very inquisitive nature, I embarked on an unscientific survey of attitudes about gays in the military with this group, whom I doubt would be referred to as run-of-the-mill “red necks.” Of the six people at the table, five strongly disagreed with the “Clinton” policy due to the closeness and lack of privacy that is prevalent in military life as an enlisted man. The one individual who supported the policy was the only person who had never served in the military. I’m sure this was the situation with President Bill Clinton and his political advisors, who I’m sure never served either. My conclusion is if you want me to shower with gay soldiers then at least let’s be fair and let me shower with an attractive female soldier. Just think of the wonders this would do for the Army’s recruiting drive. Hell, I might even re-enlist myself.

Women in the Military

As I am putting pen to paper, the great scandal at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq is unfolding, wherein members of the U.S. Army Military Police have photographed each other mistreating Iraqi prisoners. These photos displayed heterosexual and homosexual misconduct and if nothing else, youthful stupidity.

Major General Antonio Taguba, who was assigned to investigate the allegations stated in his scathing report that the military police were sadly lacking in basic military occupational skills. In 1994, co-ed basic training was imposed on the Army but not the Marine Corps. Within two years, various scandals erupted at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds and at basic training facilities regarding sexual favors and harassment. In 1997, former Sen. Nancy Kassenbaum Baker chaired an advisory committee that studied the issue. The committee concluded that “Co-ed basic training is resulting in less discipline, less unit cohesion, and more distraction from training programs.” The number of female Navy sailors who become pregnant is astronomical. Should this surprise anyone who has served in the military?

Advantages of Women in the Military

Let me be very clear about this. I strongly agree that both men and women should equally share the responsibility for protecting the country. Integrated armies have been very successful as when Russia fought the Germans in World War II and in modern day Israel. The Russians used women as aircraft pilots, tank drivers and just about every other skill level other than the infantry.

The issue I am vehemently opposed to is the issue of co-educational basic training. Again, I am attacking another politically correct solution without the barest form of logical thought. The U. S. Marines have separate facilities for training men and women – they have it right!

Anyone who has ever served in the military recognizes that co-ed basic training is sheer stupidity. I would have to conclude that the people who affect such changes have never served in the military. Let’s understand the environment of basic training. Unless there have been significant changes in the process since I served, there is absolutely no privacy during basic training. The military crams in an enormous amount of training in physical fitness, firing weapons, hand-to-hand combat, law (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), military etiquette, and night training exercises. Soldiers are crammed together if for no other reason to control this youthful mob. At the age most male and female soldiers enlist is when the “hormones rage” for sexual satisfaction. If an individual has never served in the military, such as most of our congressional representatives (lawyers and the like), they can never understand the strain of this period on one’s life.

Additional Benefit of a Male/Female Military

There is one very important point that is rarely stressed when discussing the benefits of integrated male/female Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine units. During my lifetime, the majority of women I have known do not want to discuss the horrors of war preferring to bury their head in the sand akin to an ostrich. When the subject of the brutal daily maiming of soldiers and civilians in Vietnam was discussed, many women insisted that the conversation be changed to something more agreeable to a civilized society.

Once women start to return from active duty and they relate their own personal experiences about the brutality of war to other women, maybe women will try and change the passion men have had for picking up a weapon and slaughtering other peoples. Remember, “There is no glory in war.”

I can just picture a wonderful scenario in cultures where women have a voice. “George, if you go off to fight that war, you won’t be sleeping in my bed when you return.” Whoa! Maybe Billy Joe will think twice before running off to clobber another society. Now we all recognize that my suggested approach would be infeasible in most Islamic countries where women are little more than chattel (an item of tangible movable or immovable property), but the concept might cause a ripple in American society that hopefully over time would turn into a tsunami.