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May 11, 2011
Marines Get Trained on Accepting Obama's Gay Recruits
If a Marine spots two men in his battalion kissing off-duty at a shopping mall, he should react as if he were seeing a man and woman. If he turns on the television news to see a fellow Marine dressed as a civilian and marching in a parade with a banner that reads, "Support Gays and Lesbians in the Military!" he should accept it as a free right of expression.
Prescriptions for those possible scenarios are being played out at Marine bases as the military prepares to allow gays to openly serve, ending a 17-year-old policy commonly known as "don't ask, don't tell." Training for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines began early this year and is expected to finish by summer's end.
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As the U.S. Military prepares to allow gays to openly serve, ending a policy commonly known as "don't ask don't tell," men and women in uniform are being trained on what to expect and how to handle the change.
Marine instructor Maj. Daryl Desimone stood before an auditorium filled with fatigue-clad troops, carrying an unequivocal message: It's OK to disagree with letting gays serve openly in the military. It's not OK to disobey orders.
He explained that the impending repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" is an order, one heard by generals and rank-and-file alike as the military tries to change the culture of a traditionally conservative institution.
Only a few of the roughly 150 Marines stepped up to ask questions.
One stood up from a back row and demanded to know why his religious beliefs were being "put aside" in favor of gays, forcing him to "basically grit my teeth and bear it."
"It's not really open to discussion," Desimone said. "Nobody's trying to change your mind."
Sexual orientation will now be a private matter, just like religion or politics, he said.
Sgt. Jay Milinichik, of Tulsa, Okla., stood up to ask what would happen if a Marine refused gay roommates.
Marines won't have separate barracks or showers based on sexual orientation, Desimone said. He added that signing up for the Marines comes with an expectation of less privacy.
That said, officers may decide to separate roommates to preserve peace, just like they do now when roommates argue.
Marines will not be allowed an early discharge for opposing the policy but exceptions will be considered, Desimone said.
"You can't just walk up and say, 'I don't like this. I'm outa here,'" he said.
Classes like Thursday's for the Combat Logistics Regiment 17 of the 1st Marine Logistics Group are being held at military bases around the world. The Marines expect to finish training by June 1, with all military branches done by summer's end.
The repeal of the 17-year "don't ask, don't tell" policy would go into effect 60 days after the president, defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that lifting the ban won't hurt the military's ability to fight.
Gen. James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, testified last year that permitting gays to openly serve could disrupt smaller combat units and distract leaders from preparing for battle.
When he appeared this month before the House Armed Services Committee, he said he had been looking for problems that might arise under the new policy and hadn't found any "recalcitrant pushback."
"There has not been the anxiety over it from the forces in the field," he said.
In small group discussions, Marines are being asked to consider their reactions to a wide range of scenarios, from seeing a member "hanging around" a gay bar to hearing locker-room jokes from others who refuse to shower in front of gays.
There is nothing wrong with "hanging around" a gay bar, the training materials state.
The officer who witnesses the loud locker-room banter aimed at gays and lesbians should remind the Marines any discrimination or harassment is inappropriate.
If a Marine spots two men in his battalion kissing off-duty at a shopping mall, he should react as if he were seeing a man and woman, according to the training materials.
If he turns on the television news to see a fellow Marine dressed as a civilian and marching in a parade with a banner that reads, "Support Gays and Lesbians in the Military!" he should accept it as a free right of expression.
A top-notch Marine recruiter opposed to the new policy cannot refuse a promising applicant because of sexual orientation. The recruiter might be considered for another assignment or, at the Navy secretary's discretion, might be granted early discharge.
Chaplains who preach at base chapels that homosexuality is a sin are entitled to express their beliefs during worship.
At Thursday's class at Camp Pendleton, there were several questions about benefits.
Desimone said Marines must follow federal law that only recognizes marriage between a man and woman, disqualifying gays from housing allowances and other benefits afforded to married couples.
But he pondered a scenario in which a gay couple would be allowed to live in military base housing because they have children and the partner is a custodial parent.
"There are inconsistencies," he said. "Anyone who looks at it logically will see there are some things that need to be worked out."
After class, Petty Officer William Evans of Riverside, Calif., said he was a bit "blindsided" when the repeal was announced. The hospital corpsman lives off the base, but said he would feel uncomfortable sharing barracks with a gay man.
"Of course, it's not something that everyone's going to be comfortable with, but we'll have to deal with it," he said.
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Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick receives his new rank from his wife, Reneee Bostick, and the Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. during his promotion ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2010. Bostick is the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Army's G1 which executes all manpower, and personnel plans, programs and policies for the entire Army.
Check this out. THREATS FROM top general as he calls Christian soldiers 'bigots'
"Those serving who oppose the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) agenda are no longer welcome." Unfortunately, we have a minority of service members who are still racists and bigoted and you will never be able to get rid of all of them," Lt. Gen. Bostick said. "But these people opposing this new policy will need to get with the program, and if they can't, they need to get out. No matter how much training and education of those in opposition, you're always going to have those that oppose this on moral and religious grounds just like you still have racists today." ~ Lt. Gen. Bostick - 9/16/10
Wild Thing's comment........
obama has acompolished many things and every one of them is destroying our country.
I hate it when they pull out the race card. That Lt. Gen. Bostick is full of it and I would love to tell him that up close and personal. Put your freaking race card BS where the sun does not shine Lt. Gen. Bostick !
For future voting too let us not ever forget.
Eight Republican Senators supported the repeal of DADT. Had they opposed it, it would not have passed.
They are: Brown (R-MA), Burr (R-NC), Collins (R-ME), Ensign (R-NV), Kirk (R-IL), Murkowski (R-AK), Snowe (R-ME) and Voinovich (R-OH).
Posted by Wild Thing at May 11, 2011 04:55 AM
Comments
"Sexual orientation will now be a private matter, just like religion or politics, he said."
No, the major is wrong! Don't ask, don't tell made sexual orientation a private matter. The new policy allows gays to bring it from privacy into the open.
All branches of the service are giving this training to the troops.
Maybe Lt. Gen Bostick can form and lead the All Gay Brigade?
Posted by: BobF at May 11, 2011 07:42 AM
I predict, first there will be a lot of early releases of Soldiers who want nothing to do with this new Clown Army/Marine Corps. Second, there will be plenty of fights, nasty fights and the straights involved will be the ones Court Martialled and discharged.
They have lowered the bar to the point that it will require no effort to get over the bar. Sodomy is still against the UCMJ, what about that one. Who is going to challange this one. How can you have queers serving openly and expect a platoon of men to act like they actually belong in the service. This is bullshit.
Posted by: Mark at May 11, 2011 07:52 AM
"Sexual orientation will now be a private matter, just like religion or politics, he said."-wasn't that the entire point of Dont ask-don't tell? Now the "GLBT" can flaunt it and the rest have to grit their teeth and shut up. Will the services be able to enforce rules against fraternization between strait males and females if the GLBT can to their thing in the open? All the problems in the world and we focus on 2-3% of the population-and probably a smaller % who would consider joining the armed forces. Back in 1993 people told me that I was losing it when I said that I agreed with Clinton regarding DADT. That was the only thing he got right.
Posted by: Willy at May 11, 2011 10:46 AM
Use to be there wasn't a DADT, If they got caught They got a BCD and they were out of here. Case closed problem solved. Its that simple.
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Posted by: Mark at May 11, 2011 01:07 PM
Use to be there wasn't a DADT, If they got caught They got a BCD and they were out of here. Case closed problem solved. Its that simple.
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Posted by: Mark at May 11, 2011 01:08 PM
The contradictions are astounding. I fail to see the (any) positives in this. This will get really ugly the first time someone is gutted and flayed for "unwanted advances".... +++ Those brave Marines may not like it, but they won't take it lying down either (wink).
Posted by: pontiff alex at May 11, 2011 01:16 PM
Obama is well on his way to accomplishing the goal assigned him. Bringing down our Republic. Destroying our way of life, our liberty and the American way.
Posted by: Bob A at May 11, 2011 02:54 PM
Thank you everyone so much.
GREAT input!
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 12, 2011 04:06 AM
Uh-oh, open season on the religious, moral and otherwise conservative in the military. In 2012, like Nixon said in '68, "This time, vote like your whole wold depended on it."
Posted by: Anonymous at May 12, 2011 06:18 PM
