Iraq vet booted from army for coming out

[UnderBiCover]

West Point grad, Harvard alum, did 2 tours in Iraq, was chosen to teach @ West Point, comes out of the closet, now facing dishonorable discharge

article here

 

[NickCole]

It doesn't report why this intelligent man informed his commander he's gay, giving up his "huge huge dream" of teaching at West Point.

Unless that's what this is supposed to be: Even if he had stayed closeted, he says, “It wasn’t going to be possible for me to fit the mold, and I knew that because of that, there was going to be a glass ceiling.”

He's been in the military 9 years and it's just occurring to him now?

"As recently as a year ago, Woods thought life after Harvard would include at least five more years of military service. "

Sounds like sometime between then and Commencement he fell in love with a guy.

 

[UnderBiCover]

Bad journalilsm really annoys me.

It doesn't report why this intelligent man would inform his commander he's gay, giving up his "huge huge dream."

it's an alum mag, not the NYT

then again, some people seem to think everybody should come out of the closet no matter what - maybe that sort of thinking was doing a # on his head

some people can really get in your face if you don't come out come out come out whoever you are

 

[crzyrazn]

It makes me stark raving mad that a person with his accomplishments considering his background should be discharged based on his sexual orientation. The man served two tours in Iraq, risking his life to protect his country, and was selected to teach at a highly respected military school, which demonstrates his obvious talent, and they are going to discharge him for being gay? Disgusting.

Bad journalilsm really annoys me.

It doesn't report why this intelligent man would inform his commander he's gay.

There was a reason. Reread the article, and pay closer attention...

“If this policy’s ever going to go away,” he says, “they have to lose talented people. It’s not going to go away unless it hurts.”

And I, for one, think he is absolutely right.

 

[UnderBiCover]

I've searched for more articles online about Woods but unfortunately have not yet found anything - his having a fairly common name does not help

The man served two tours in Iraq, risking his life to protect his country, and was selected to teach at a highly respected military school, which demonstrates his obvious talent, and they are going to discharge him for being gay? Disgusting.

all the while the Bush Admin actively recruits convicted felons for military service

in 2007 the Army gave moral waivers to 106 applicants convicted of burglary, 15 of felony break-ins, 11 of grand theft auto & 8 of arson - it also admitted 5 rape/sexual-assault convicts, 2 felony child molesters, 2 manslaughter convicts & 2 felons condemned for "terrorist threats including bomb threats"

 

[NickCole]

It makes me stark raving mad that a person with his accomplishments considering his background should be discharged based on his sexual orientation. The man served two tours in Iraq, risking his life to protect his country, and was selected to teach at a highly respected military school, which demonstrates his obvious talent, and they are going to discharge him for being gay? Disgusting.

Insist Obama get rid of DADT like he said he would.

There was a reason. Reread the article, and pay closer attention...

“If this policy’s ever going to go away,” he says, “they have to lose talented people. It’s not going to go away unless it hurts.”

And I, for one, think he is absolutely right.

If that's his reason it's stupid.

The military has already lost many talented people to DADT, for instance:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14052513/

and not because they shot themselves in the foot but because they were maliciously outed.

DADT is not going to be overturned because one guy who was going to teach at West Point outs himself.

 

[NickCole]

it's an alum mag, not the NYT

Harvard alum.

Journalism 101. First day of class. Every student is told the same thing. There are six questions every news report should answer: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.

No excuses.

then again, some people seem to think everybody should come out of the closet no matter what - maybe that sort of thinking was doing a # on his head

some people can really get in your face if you don't come out come out come out whoever you are

I'm sorry, I don't have sympathy for him unless there's something more to the story. He was headed into a job he described as "a huge huge dream" for him -- you know how many people are losing their jobs today or taking jobs they don't want and have to accept a lower salary and be grateful for? He could have finished his time with the military, a commitment he signed onto knowing about DADT, been honorably discharged and then worked to overturn DADT if it's still in effect. IMO he failed to live up to what he promised and he deserves to be dishonorably discharged.

It's long past time to get rid of DADT but as long as it's the law then gay men who sign up for military service have a duty to abide by it and fulfill their commitment.

 

[NickCole]

I think a Harvard Master of Public Policy is very capable of making his decisions without pressure from others.

After 9+ years in the military I'd imagine he'd reached a point where he wanted to be able to open all aspects of his life to those he cared about without having to keep things secret.

It's what a brave person does.

It may be brave but it's dishonorable and selfish to come out before he completes his commitment. It's wrong. We have to stop excusing and defending people who don't honor their commitments.

 

[NickCole]

He's more than willing to fulfill his obligation. It's the policy that is stopping him.

The policy was in place when he signed up.

He signed on to a commitment that included DADT.

He's not willing to fulfill his obligation -- part of the obligation is DADT.

 

[crzyrazn]

It may be brave but it's dishonorable and selfish to come out before he completes his commitment. It's wrong. We have to stop excusing and defending people who don't honor their commitments.

I do hope that Pres. Obama will overturn DADT policies that unnecessarily segregate our military from gay individuals who are capable and willing to serve their country. I agree with you he could have waited, finished his contract, and than campaigned against the unfairness of DADT. However, his commitment has been more than fulfilled after serving in Iraq - twice! Matthew, makes a good point concerning this.

 

[NickCole]

Yes Nick...Anthony is a horrible person. His maturity level and life 9 years ago are identical to now. Nothing has changed in his personal life. What he knew and felt 9 years ago is the same right now.

That excuse could be used by anybody who betrays a commitment.

We never know who we'll be or what we'll feel next year, nevermind nine years from now. But if we make a commitment, agree to terms that we accept as reasonable, we have an obligation to honor it.

We, Americans, as a culture, accepting that it's okay to back out of obligations when we feel like it --not because of extreme extenuating circumstances, but because of things like our "maturity level" has changed-- is ruining our nation. It's fundamentally irresponsible. It's showing up through the economic crisis in case you haven't noticed, and the destructive ramifications are going to continue to bubble up in lots of other places.

He should have completed his obligation. I'm sorry if it's tough. Learning that life is sometimes very hard and we have to just get through to the other side of a difficult situation is part of what we learn through maturing. I think this man is not at a very high level of maturity. And, again, as hard times of life go, headed into a job that's been "a huge huge dream," especially while people are being laid off by the hundreds of thousands, is not exactly heartbreaking.

 

[White Eagle]

Hopefully it will take someone like this to show how important it is to allow gays in the military. Like he said it will take a "hurt" to show them.
It reminds me of all the Arab translators that they let go because of DADT. And they are hurting for translators.

 

[JayHawk]

If he wanted to stay he could have chosen to do so and if he wanted to go, which he did, he has the right to do so. The only thing he opted out of was retirement for life which can easily be argued as against him and not the American people.

ALL SERVICE IS GOOD SERVICE. He did his time decided he had enough and made the choice to leave under his terms. I came very close to the same place and then James came along.

Every person is different and have their own priorities. If you wish to argue the merits of repealing DADT and all of the discriminatory laws that ban our lifestyle in the military then fine but do not pretend to argue this mans service.

Finally, the military is a socialist society that protects the most democratic republics to date. The situation you put yourself into when you serve and then choose to continue your service is entirely your decision.

 

[NickCole]

Don't let your allegiance to conservativism blind you to the horror of gay discrimination.

I'm not a conservative by today's definition, and I'm certainly not a Republican.

My commitment that you seem to read as conservative is to honesty and honor and integrity and strong character. Those are values glaringly short in the Republican Party today.

Gay discrimination is familiar to me and I'm not blind to it. But discrimination doesn't give a pass to those who're discriminated against to behave dishonorably, to betray their commitments in cases like this.

This isn't some poor beleagured man (he has the opportunity to take a job he describes as "a huge huge dream" of his, and it's during a time when having any secure job is a blessing), this isn't a Rosa Parks, exhausted and fed up with being treated like an animal. Nobody outed him, and his outing himself is not going to rally support for overturning DADT; he's fighting no cause that's bigger than himself, he's just breaking a promise because he wants it easier right now. But he freely relinquished that right when he enlisted for however long he has left. I don't think it helps the cause of gay equality to defend gays who make bad choices and fail to honor their obligations.

I've fought gay discrimination all my adult life, not just bitched about it when a story like this comes out. It's so easy to be angry about discrimination by expressing outrage over a story like this, makes you feel good about "contributing" to anger against discrimination and you get to "belong" with other gays also being outraged -- but only "appropriately" so, no leaps of faith, no putting yourself on the line, no risk involved. And it doesn't accomplish anything. Get out there and do the hard work of actually breaking down barriers and changing laws; "inappropriately" insist Obama and Congressional Democrats overturn DADT now; then we'll talk.

 

[NickCole]

If he wanted to stay he could have chosen to do so and if he wanted to go, which he did, he has the right to do so. The only thing he opted out of was retirement for life which can easily be argued as against him and not the American people.

ALL SERVICE IS GOOD SERVICE. He did his time decided he had enough and made the choice to leave under his terms. I came very close to the same place and then James came along.

Every person is different and have their own priorities. If you wish to argue the merits of repealing DADT and all of the discriminatory laws that ban our lifestyle in the military then fine but do not pretend to argue this mans service.

Finally, the military is a socialist society that protects the most democratic republics to date. The situation you put yourself into when you serve and then choose to continue your service is entirely your decision.

There is a reason he's being dishonorably discharged rather than honorably. Maybe honor means nothing to you but it's supposed to mean something in the military.

He didn't "do his time," he fell short of doing "his time." "His time" was the time he signed up for and commited to.

The only time "choose to continue your service is entirely your decision" is at reenlistment. When you make a commitment to serve a certain period of time you're not supposed to bail out, you're expected to honor that commitment until that time is completed. What he's done is dishonorable.

 

[Lube]

Why were so many arab translators gay?

An affinity for languages is a very gay trait. Just about every guy in my Irish class is gay.

 

[Lube]

it's an alum mag, not the NYT

then again, some people seem to think everybody should come out of the closet no matter what - maybe that sort of thinking was doing a # on his head

some people can really get in your face if you don't come out come out come out whoever you are

I don't normally go to CE&P forum, but this post was mentioned in my blog, so I figured I'd take a look.

If enough guys like this guy and now Lieutenant Colonel Victor J. Fehrenbach come out, DADT will have to change. More power to 'em.

And, yes, I think just about every gay guy should come out. There's hardly a reason not to any more. Boo hoo.