Top generals' disagreement on gays in the military

General Disagreement on Gays in the Military

From Family Research Council's president, Tony Perkins (Feb. 23, 2010):

The military is used to escalating tensions--but not within its own ranks. Yesterday, two members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff more than hinted at an internal conflict over the President's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" campaign. During hearings with the Armed Services Committee, the first cracks over the issue started to show among America's top brass. Both Army Chief Gen. George Casey and Air Force Chief Gen. Norton Schwartz disagreed with their Navy counterpart, Adm. Mike Mullen on the effects of overturning the policy.

"I do have serious concerns about the impact of a repeal of the law on a force that is fully engaged in two wars..." Gen. Casey told the Senate panel. "We just don't know the impacts on readiness and military effectiveness." In the meantime, the Army Chief completely rejected the push to stop "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" dismissals until a final decision is made. "This is not the time to perturb the force that is, at the moment, stretched by demands in Iraq and Afghanistan ..." he said. Today, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway entered the fray in a House hearing, insisting that civil rights would ultimately have to take a back seat if it meant tampering with the military's ability to protect the nation. Under a bill from Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Congress would put a moratorium on the military's discharges over the next year while the Pentagon studies the policy change. Gen. Schwartz was forcefully opposed to the idea, saying it would put the current cases "in legal limbo."

Of course, this is a typical strategy of the administration, which tries to pick off laws by phasing out their enforcement. (Defense of Marriage Act, anyone?) That's why the timing of his team's first strike on the issue was so important. Shortly after the State of the Union address, where President Obama called for repeal, the White House rushed Adm. Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to the Hill for cover. Both leaders backed the campaign in an effort to head off any dissent. Until yesterday, they were quite successful.

So successful, in fact, that even I was caught in the crossfire. In October, the chaplain of Andrews Air Force Base asked me to speak at a non-political prayer luncheon. Just two days after the State of the Union address, the base rescinded its invitation, citing FRC statements "which are incompatible in our role as military members who serve our elected officials and our Commander-in-Chief." As a veteran of the Marine Corps, I was shocked that the military would exclude me from speaking to the spiritual needs of our servicemen solely because I exercised my free speech rights in a different forum--in support of the current law of the land. Unfortunately, this is just precursor of things to come in a post-"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military.

This legislation would more than open the Armed Forces to homosexuals; it would lead to a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone who disapproves of homosexuality. Will the chaplains' sermons be censored? Would they have the freedom to counsel soldiers with same-sex attractions? Or would they be disqualified from the service altogether?