With Repeal in Sight, What Next?
March 13, 2010 by JANicholson
Filed under Showers and Foxholes
One of the questions I get asked most often is, “If the ban is lifted, would you go back in?” And my answer is always an unequivocal, “Yep!” But someone made a interesting point to me the other day about that very question. Noting that since I was discharged under DADT in 2002, I’ve gone on to finish college, get a Masters, and do a Ph.D. (still ABD), this person fairly enough challenged me on whether or not it is believable that someone who has a Ph.D. would seriously go back into the military. That question hadn’t really ever occurred to me before because for me, there has never been a question about whether or not I would go back in, despite what I’ve been doing in the meantime. With that said, however, it shouldn’t be assumed that I would just go back in and try to pick up at the same place I left off 8 years ago – a 20-year old private. Yes, that would be a little strange.
One of the things I always wanted to do while I was in the military was utilize the Army’s Green-to-Gold program to go back to college at some point. I originally left college after my freshman year (back before I joined the Army) largely because neither I nor my parents could afford it anymore. Finishing college is something that I never lost the desire to do, and upward mobility was something that I had my sights on even while I was still in. Since I’ve already been to college, and to grad school, I now plan to go back in as an officer now.
But over the past 8 years, my interests and passions have changed as I’ve grown and matured. Now, my passion is advocacy and law, and the perfect combination of those two sets of passions (military and law) is JAG. So as soon as we finish up this fight to get the DADT law repealed, this one hopes to head off to law school and go back into the Army as a JAG lawyer. Sure, most military lawyers don’t have Ph.D.s, but maybe that’ll be useful in the future as TJAG.
Alex,
I’m a 24 year veteran of the Navy Reserve and been retired over eight years. I must also point out that I’m an Army Brat. My father served over 34 years and in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. I’ve seen the Military from many sides and believe that the time has come for the “Don’t Ask and Don’t Tell” to go. Today’s soldier is more open and intelligent then ever before about social issues. I also know when I was in a combat environment that last thing I cared about was a persons sexual preference. The importance of having a person who has your back and can carry his or her duties is the upmost on my mind. All American Citizens should be able to serve with honor in the Military without being put thru a discriminatory policy. Thanks
The bulk of my comment is direct more to Steve than Alex, but I do respect and understand Alex’s desire to re-enter Service if allowed to do so and I support that. I too would not hesitate to re-enter service, I simply have a few other challenges to overcome to allow that to happen. Speciffically I did retire.
Steve, the funny thing is that I am a almost 23 year veteran of the Army… and a Navy Brat. My father served for over 31 years also in WWII, Korea and Vietnam! I completely agree with your assessment and in fact I had come uot as Transgender to a very dear and career long friend who was also a Vietnam Vet, and to my boss (the Brigade XO). My “Army Career” however was as an active duty soldier with the California Army National Guard and not the U.S. Army (I was in the AGR Program for 20 years).
I began my Transition from Male to Female starting the very day I retired from the Army (Actually I did take teps while on Terminal leave). Yet if they would have me back I would go in an instant, no hesitation and to either Active Status in th Army or if possible back to an AGR position. But then there is that thing about activating a retired soldier that would cause obstacles and consternation. My purpose in retiring at the time was threefold: I kept being turned down for a tour in Iran or Afganistan, I was dealing with my Transgender issues and did not want to risk losing my retirement by being discharged under DADT and with recent reorganizations the number of e-8 positions in my career feild had been drastically reduced and recently filled so it would be many years before I would see any possibiliity of promotion.
Sorry I did not mean to turn this into an “About Me” statement. The point is we lose many good and qualified soldiers and sailors every year under DADT, but what is hidden is how many leave for fear of being “Outted” and stay only long enough to reach retirement or to fulfill their education goals? Who many leave because of the BS they have to put up with? ANd why do “They not see that DADT is actually a policy in which soldiers declaire that their sexual orientation IS heterosexual? (whether it is on not). Many opponets of letting LGBT people serve openly claim that we only want to repeal DADT and allow us to serve so that we can openly proclaim our sexual preference or gender identity and that we are making this about what our sexual preferences or identities are. Thye simply can’t see it that you can’t have it both ways. If allowed to openly serve then it effectively takes away from any debates whether you are LGBT or not. It makes it a NON-Issue…problem solved, move on to the next item that is an issue that we should be spending time solving and not being distracted by someone’s personal hang-ups!