More than 800 service members ejected from US military under 'don't ask, don't tell' receive honorable discharges
Source: CNN Politics
Published 11:49 AM EDT, Tue October 15, 2024
CNN More than 800 records of service members who were kicked out of the military under the dont ask, dont tell policy were recently upgraded to receive honorable discharges, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday. Just over a year ago, I announced that the Department would, for the first time, begin to proactively review the military records of former Service members discharged during Dont Ask, Dont Tell because of their sexual orientation who might have been eligible for upgrades to the characterization of their discharge or changes to their reason for separation but had not yet applied, Austin said.
After a year of exceptional work, the Military Department Review Boards directed relief in 96.8% of the 851 cases that they proactively reviewed. Austin announced in September 2023 that the Pentagon would be initiating new outreach campaigns to reach LGBTQ+ service members who may have been discharged based on their sexual orientation.
Congress officially repealed the policy, which prohibited openly bisexual, gay, or lesbian individuals from serving in the military, in 2011. A service members discharge status determines what benefits they are eligible for after military service. An individual who has received a discharge characterized as other than honorable or under bad conduct, for example, may not receive full benefits from the Veterans Affairs.
Last year, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said troops were given discharges that may have denied them access to veterans benefits like home loans, healthcare, GI Bill tuition assistance, and even some government jobs. Austin said Tuesday that with the hundreds of changes recently made in the proactive review, 96% of all service members who were kicked out of the military under dont ask, dont tell and who served long enough to receive a merit-based characterization of that service now have an honorable discharge.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/15/politics/service-members-dont-ask-dont-tell/index.html
sheshe2
(86,544 posts)Its past time to correct that wrong.
Mrsfiddlegirl
(19 posts)It's about time. Best news of the day in this cruel world.
TommyT139
(547 posts)Because they were pressured to leave using various excuses in order to avoid being outed.
Of course those discharges are tricky to make a process for, but we must not forget that there are service members who were forced out for their orientation or gender identity, who aren't benefitting from this wonderful and compassionate policy.
usaf-vet
(6,729 posts)progressoid
(50,543 posts)multigraincracker
(33,783 posts)When I fist met her she hadnt came out and we talked about military school. Talked with her a year later after coming out and we talked about misconceptions about gay folks. I learned a lot from that conversation.
Sorry that was a little over 10 years ago not 20. I have very fat fingers.
Hope22
(2,457 posts)These people were put through the wringer! Careers stopped short. How long have we lived with this bull$#it madness?!
littlemissmartypants
(24,632 posts)Hope22
(2,457 posts)littlemissmartypants
(24,632 posts)mountain grammy
(27,107 posts)littlemissmartypants
(24,632 posts)LoisB
(8,301 posts)Wounded Bear
(60,264 posts)70sEraVet
(4,058 posts)I saw how much a gay man had to endure, without being able to turn to his superior officers for help. But that was well before the 'don't ask don't tell'.