Partners of gay troops to get benefits, too?

Pima - You do know that there was a time that women in the Armed Services were not allowed to be married or have dependents. right?
You do know there was a time when female officers were not allowed to command men. Right?
You do know that desegregation didn't actually integrate the military. Right?
As recently as 1954 there were all Black units.

My point is that if folks insist that DADT be revoked only when Gay marriage is accepted by the Fed Govt then we are not moving forward. Sometimes goals need to be accomplished in baby steps. So, why wait?
 
HAHAHA! Unless we're talking healthcare reform. :eek:

Well, we still don't have a public option - LOL

Not to get off track, however .....

Interesting article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36118600/ns/us_news-military/

WASHINGTON - The Army secretary said on Wednesday he would not discharge gay personnel who admitted their sexual orientation to him, despite the "don't ask, don't tell" stance that remains official military policy.
"What the secretary (of defense) has placed a moratorium on is going forward on discharges," Army Secretary John McHugh told defense reporters.
The statement seemed to indicate that some Pentagon leaders had already shifted their stance, at least regarding private admissions by gay troops, although Congress has not yet formally repealed the law banning declared homosexuals............................
 
Pima - You do know that there was a time that women in the Armed Services were not allowed to be married or have dependents. right?
You do know there was a time when female officers were not allowed to command men. Right?
You do know that desegregation didn't actually integrate the military. Right?
As recently as 1954 there were all Black units.

My point is that if folks insist that DADT be revoked only when Gay marriage is accepted by the Fed Govt then we are not moving forward. Sometimes goals need to be accomplished in baby steps. So, why wait?

JAM, most of here weren't born when all of those things were in effect. Thanks for telling us how unfair it was back then, and how you in the trenches were fighting all that awful stuff! Kudos!

BTW, baby steps and Fabian Socialism are never the right path for America, never. JMVHO
 
HAHAHA! Unless we're talking healthcare reform. :eek:

I disagree with that LITS, the latest Healthcare Reform bill is the ultimate "baby step" legislation ever. Brilliant!

Example: How do you call it "Insurance" when there are no "Pre-existing conditions" ever? That means it's ridiculous to by "Insurance" today, and then just wait for an illness to buy the coverage. Therefore, the Insurance industry will fail in a few years, and we'll have to have the "Single Payer" system. Win win for Socialism.
 
I am only chuckling right now because the comment from Emsa is too funny... I am on SERVICE ACADEMY FORUMS, right?

Come on, Emsa, you are talking to people who dress like each other M-F. Seriously, do you think they want to be unique? Maybe you were being comical or maybe it was a dig at the military, but either way, I am guessing you are going to be in the minority on that thought process.


Yes Pima you are definately still in the right place, and I am supprised you have to ask becuase if there was ever a group of people who aspire to the extraordinary rather than the normal its those who end up at SAs. I guess though it depends how you define normal to me its a state of mind not the contents of your wardrobe, after all each of those "normalphobic" gays that are currently in the military dress like everyone else do they not??



And a feel good story of what could (hopefully one day will) be: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/2916160/Princes-man-first-Household-Cavalry-soldier-to-marry-gay-partner.html
 
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I guess it is how you define extraordinary. To me the norm in the military is they are all extraordinary. The military expects and demands 100%+ from all of their members, that is their norm.

Now let's also realize that the norm is not to buck the system. Regs exist for a reason and military members are expected to salute sharply and follow the order.

Military members are extraordinary compared to the avg society member, but I highly doubt they think of themselves as anything else, but NORMAL!

It is not extraordinary to them when they fly Mach 2 and dog fight, or have a Shack. That is their job, that is normal to them. It is not extraordinary to the CG to rescue people off the coast of AK in sub zeo degree weather from a sinking ship, that is what they do. It is not extraordinary to a Sailor to launch a Cruise Missile or to a soldier to launch an offensive. It is normal.

Like I said it is how you define extraordinary. I would say Pardo or Doolittle were extraordinary. McCain enduring 5 yrs in a POW was extraordinary, but I am pretty sure they also would say it wasn't because that was their job, that is the NORM for the military. Jessica Lynch did not see herself as extraordinary for enduring her pain, she saw herself as the same as the others.

JAM,

We all get it, to you this is civil rights and that is it, end of subject, period, dot. You do not view the military as a corporation. The reality is, it is. WHy do you think the Quadrennial Review was such a big deal? Why do they do budget and personnel planning? DO you think that RIFS and SERBS exist for willy nilly reasons? Of course not! They exist because there is a MILITARY BUDGET, that they must stay within. They are not like our FED GOVT and say, lend me some money because we can't make the bills. (CAVEAT: WAR). Have you ever talked to a military member what the end of September is like from an operational standpoint? For example, there have been yrs that training missions ended in the middle of September because they ran out of money. (FY is Pct 1 to Sept 30). There are units that CANNIBALIZE equipment because they ran out of funding. I recall one time where Bullet was double turning, he looked at the tires and said I think we need ones, they said don't worry Sir, it has 3 more rides left. Gee, that makes a military member feel safe....NOT! We no longer have at most bases/posts OB/GYN, yet we do have female soldiers. Why? MONEY! We no longer have self help stores for on base residents...why...MONEY. We now have contracted doctors and not military members...why...MONEY! Why do most base/post hospitals no longer have ER...MONEY! Why do they now ask if you have secondary health insurance...MONEY! Why do we have NAF for the clubs, pools, golf courses, etc...MONEY, yes, 20 yrs ago all of them were subsidized by the govt. Want a shocker go to an O'Club on Monday morning, you know what you will see in the kitchen? Dirty dishes because they can't afford to pay staff on the weekend to clean up after Friday night...MONEY! WHy do you think they extend committments...MONEY!

You may want to believe that is a civil rights issue, but it isn't! It will be repealed, all the military is saying, is give us time to fiscally do it right....and hopefully during that time we will also repeal DOMA and the Fed will recognize homosexual unions. However, if we don't the military will spend money defending why they are not giving bennies to state recognized unions...HMMM bennies isn't that a MONEY issue?
 
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if there was ever a group of people who aspire to the extraordinary rather than the normal its those who end up at SAs.

Yikes, don't say that too loud! :wink: The reality of a service academy may be shocking. :eek:
 
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