The President's role in repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell

by: Adam Bink

Mon Apr 26, 2010 at 14:29

Among them are:

1. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs could stop repeatedly dodging simple questions on whether the Administration wants to see the law repealed.

2. Committing to moving forward with a repeal vote while the Pentagon "how" review is being finished, and make it clear the review is a "how", not "if", effort. I have been hearing from citizen advocates, organizational leaders and even Congressional staff that multiple members of Congress are all saying they want to see what the review says before committing to repeal. It has become more of a roadblock than a helpful step on the path to repeal.

3. Inserting repeal language in the defense authorization bill he sends to the Hill.

4. Going out and asking the public to contact their members of Congress in support of repeal... and pressuring members himself, too.

The responsibility does not just lie in the hands of Congress. The President is responsible, too, and that was what the hecklers were trying to make clear.

Today, OpenLeft is partnering with 10 other LGBT-focused blogs and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network to send that very message to the President. Below is an open letter to the President from Army Major Mike Almy, who was involuntarily outed via a simple e-mail from his lover and discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He was even recommended for a promotion while in the process of being discharged. SLDN will have a new letter each day this week.

The letter is posted in the extended entry. Please take a minute to read it. If you are a current servicemember or veteran, or close to someone who is who was affected by DADT, submit your story here. You can also contact your member of Congress via a simple tool here.

I think The Advocate's Washington correspondent Kerry Eleveld is right that the heckling got to the President, got his attention. Major Mike Almy is continuing that by sending a message to the President that he has a role, too. Let's help amplify it.

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

If you end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), I'd re-enlist the day you sign repeal into law.

For thirteen years, I served in the United States Air Force where I attained the rank of major before I was discharged under DADT.

As the Senate Armed Services Committee considers including repeal in the Defense Authorization bill, we're very close -- just two or three votes -- to passing repeal in committee. I ask for you to voice your support to put us over the top.

I come from a family with a rich legacy of military service.  My father is a West Point graduate who taught chemistry at the Air Force Academy, flew helicopters in Vietnam, and ultimately retired as a senior officer from the Air Force.  One of my uncles retired as a Master Gunnery Sergeant from the Marine Corps, with service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.  Another uncle served in the Army in Korea.

Growing up, I didn't really know what civilians did, I just knew I would follow in my father's footsteps and become a military officer.  

I joined Air Force ROTC in 1988 and was awarded a scholarship.  I earned my jump wings in 1991.  In 1992, I graduated from ROTC in the top 10% of all graduates nationwide.  In 1993, I went on active duty, just as DADT was becoming a law.

Stationed in Oklahoma, I was named officer of the year for my unit of nearly 1,000 people.  Later, I was one of six officers selected from the entire Air force to attend Professional Military Education at Quantico, Virginia.

During my career, I deployed to the Middle East four times.  In my last deployment, I led a team of nearly 200 men and women to operate and maintain the systems used to control the air space over Iraq.  We came under daily mortar attacks, one of which struck one of my Airmen and also caused significant damage to our equipment.  Towards the end of this deployment to Iraq, I was named one of the top officers in my career field for the entire Air Force.

In the stress of a war zone, the Air Force authorized us to use our work email accounts for "personal or morale purposes" because private email accounts were blocked for security.

Shortly after I left Iraq -- during a routine search of my computer files -- someone found that my "morale" was supported by the person I loved -- a man.

The email -- our modern day letter home -- was forwarded to my commander.

I was relieved of my duties, my security clearance was suspended and part of my pay was terminated.  

In my discharge proceeding, several of my former troops wrote character reference letters for me, including one of my squadron commanders. Their letters expressed their respect for me as an officer, their hope to have me back on the job and their shock at how the Air Force was treating me.

Approximately a year after I was relieved of my duties, my Wing Commander recommended I be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, even though the Air Force was actively pursuing my discharge.

But instead, after 16 months, I was given a police escort off the base as if I were a common criminal or a threat to national security.  The severance pay I received was half of what it would have been had I been separated for any other reason.

Despite this treatment, my greatest desire is still to return to active duty as an officer and leader in the United States Air Force, protecting the freedoms of a nation that I love; freedoms that I myself was not allowed to enjoy while serving in the military.  

Mr. President, I want to serve.  Please fulfill your promise to repeal DADT and give me that chance.

Thank you,

Major Mike Almy

United States Air Force

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