Now that we are about to get a European-style health-care system, I guess a European-style military too?

The Center for Military Readiness has posted a detailed article reporting on the strong testimony of retired Marine General John Sheehan, who had served as Atlantic Commander of NATO and American forces during a time when the consequences of harmful social change became evident in European militaries.

Senate Testimony: European Militaries Are Not Role Models for U.S.

CMR appreciates Gen. Sheehan for stepping up to defend the 1993 law in a difficult two-against-one situation. He drew upon 35 years of experience as a Marine Corps infantry officer who has served in combat, led a platoon, three companies, an infantry battalion, and an infantry regiment. And because his career also included command of units from 26 different nations, Gen. Sheehan was well-qualified to refute the notion that European militaries should be role models for ours. The general also noted that the British military capitulated to a 1999 European Court order to include gays in their military-something that America’s military would never do.

The apparent agitation of SASC Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) indicated that Gen. Sheehan had presented his points effectively. Gen. Sheehan’s colloquy with Sen. McCain about the male-on-male sexual assault incident in Vietnam exposed the folly of depending on judicial proceedings after the fact to “handle” disruptions in the ranks.

Major media missed some unintended humor from Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL), who tried to play the race card. When Sen. Burris asked Gen. Sheehan whether he had ever commanded minority troops, the general replied that he had never commanded troops that were not fully integrated with blacks, whites, Hispanics, Orientals, etc. Then Burris reminded the general about minority role models such as the tennis champion Williams sisters and golfer Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods in a discussion about sexual misconduct? Score that one as a gaffe.

Raunchy red-headed entertainer Kathy Griffin caused a minor disruption when she left the hearing room for a rally on Freedom Square organized by the Human Rights Campaign. The rally was upstaged by Lt. Daniel Choi, a West Point graduate and professed homosexual who thanked Army officials for their inexplicable forbearance by violating uniform regulations and getting arrested for chaining himself to the White House gate. Many gay activists who were trying to stay focused on Congress were outraged by Choi’s stunt. His antics suggested that Choi knows little about team cohesion, even in his campaign to repeal the 1993 law.

Sen. McCain effectively countered the notion that the Pentagon’s Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG) should only discuss “how” and “when” to repeal the law, but not key questions of “whether” and “why.” Showing his LGBT rainbow colors, Sen. Levin asked General Sheehan, “If you could be satisfied that there would be no harm to combat cohesion or effectiveness, would that be satisfactory to you?” Gen. Sheehan said no, members of Congress need to demonstrate how repeal of the law would actually improve military effectiveness.

If Sen. Levin prevails, America’s armed forces could start to resemble European militaries-boasting about liberal “equal opportunity” policies that have little to do with military deterrence or effectiveness. Is this what we want? For the sake of national security, America’s military must remain the best in the world.

Former Marine General Challenges NATO Military Myths

“Homosexuality Is Not Hardwired,” Concludes Head of The Human Genome Project

The documents posted below provide factual information and historic context on the issue of gays in the military.

Text of the 1993 law, Section 654, Title 10, U.S.C. (Note that the law passed by Congress is not the same as the administrative policy, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”)

CMR Summary: Ten Reasons to Oppose the “LGBT Law” or Policy for the Military

CMR Policy Analysis with Charts:

• Consequences of the Proposed New LGBT Law for the Military
• False “National Security” Argument for Gays in the Military
• Foreign Nations Are Not Role Models for the U.S.

Statement of the Flag & General Officers for the Military, personally signed by 1,167 retired military leaders as of May 2010, 51 of them former four-stars.  (All signatures returned by regular mail and on file.)

Additional information is provided in relevant sections of an article by CMR President Elaine Donnelly, titled“Constructing the Co-Ed Military,” in the June 2007 edition of the Duke University Journal of Gender Law & Policy:

http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/cite.php?14+Duke+J.+Gender+L.+&+Pol%2527y+815

The text of the section of “Constructing the Co-Ed Military” that analyzes the legislative history and current public relations campaign for homosexuals in the military also is available here:

http://cmrlink.org/fileuploads/DukeLawJournalSectGaysinMilitary.pdf

• On July 23, 2008, CMR President Elaine Donnelly testified before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, in support of Section 654, Title 10, the law stating that homosexuals are not eligible to be in the military.  A Summary of her HASC Testimony is available here. The full length version of her HASC Testimony is available here.
• Donnelly was accompanied by Sgt. Maj. Brian Jones, USA (Ret.) a former Ranger and Delta Force soldier who was part of a Special Operations Forces team involved in the incident known as “Black Hawk Down. ” The Statement of Brian Jones is posted here .

More information is available in the “Issues” section of this website, under “Gays in the Military.”  In addition, news and commentary on this topic can be researched by key word in current and archived editions of the “CMR Notes” section of this website. Researchers may request a temporary password throughinfo@cmrlink.org.

PLEASE NOTE: Many or all of the documents contained below are in “PDF” format, and require the Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don’t already have this program on your computer, you will need to download it.Click here.

• Higher Non-Deployability Rates Due to HIV Infection
• Gays in the military: give the law a name – Liberal activists are waging a public relations campaign to repeal the 1993 law banning homosexuals from the military. The campaign refers to the law as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” although there is nothing in the law resembling the policy known by that name (published July, 2007)
• Text of Title 10, Section 654, also known as “The Military Personnel Eligibility Act of 1993” (1993)
• Buyer Letter – December 16, 1999 Policy Regarding the Present Ban on Homosexuals in the Military(published December, 1999)
• DoD BETRAYING CONGRESS ON HOMOSEXUAL BAN – Defense Secretary Les Aspin began his December 22 (1993) news conference by stating that the new DoD Regulations on Homosexual Conduct in the Armed Forces were designed to implement the policy as announced by President Clinton on July 19, 1993. (published January, 1994)
• Senate Report 103-112, regarding 1993 law banning gays from the military, Section 654, Title 10, National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1994 (published July, 1993)
• House Report 103-200, regarding 1993 law banning gays from the military, Section 654, Title 10, National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1994 (published July, 1993)

Center for Military Readiness | Problems with Gays in the Military