COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Service: Gays/Lesbians
Norfolk Naval Station ranks third in U.S. for discharging gays
KATE WILTROUT, The Virginian-Pilot
August 15, 2006
Norfolk Naval Station saw more people discharged for homosexual conduct last year than all but two other military bases in the country, according to statistics from the Department of Defense.The careers of 35 sailors ended in Norfolk in 2005 for violating military rules prohibiting homosexual activity. That's almost 20 percent of all Navy discharges - 177 - for homosexual activity last year.
The only bases with more discharges were both Army posts: Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, which had 60, and Fort Campbell in Kentucky, with 49.
Terri Davis, a spokeswoman for the Navy base, did not comment on the discharge numbers other than to say 54,000 sailors serve under the base's various commands, more than any other U.S. Navy base.
"We're just so large," Davis said.
A total of 726 military members were forced from active duty under the policy last year, up from 688 in 2004.
The figures on specific bases were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request to the Pentagon by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a national legal aid and advocacy organization that wants to end the ban on gay individuals in the military.
Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a spokeswoman at the Pentagon, confirmed the numbers Monday.
Steve Ralls, a spokesman for the Washington-based legal defense network, said even one discharge is too many. "These are trained and skilled service members who want to be on the job," he said.
"While they're being fired, the military is offering waivers to allow recruits who would normally not be qualified to serve to enlist," said Ralls, citing the Army's recent decision to raise the maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42.
Under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy adopted under President Clinton in 1994, the Department of Defense prohibits both commanders from asking military members about their sexual orientation and military members from talking about it.
If service members acknowledge being gay, however, it is required that they be discharged.
According to the Navy's policy, "separation processing is mandatory if the commanding officer believes, based on credible information, the service member has committed homosexual conduct."
U.S. law prohibits homosexual individuals from serving in the armed forces because, according to the statute, it is "an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability."
The Navy base in San Diego, which has about 40,000 sailors, dismissed 21 people for homosexual activity last year, while 22 were dismissed from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois, where all enlisted sailors go through boot camp.
There also were dismissals at other Hampton Roads installations, two at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base and one each from Oceana Naval Air Station and its Dam Neck Annex in Virginia Beach.
Two soldiers at Fort Eustis and one at Fort Story also were removed from service for the same reason, according to the data.
Navy policy calls for a general or honorable discharge for those who violate the homosexual conduct policy, as long as there are no "aggravating circumstances," such as sex aboard a vessel, with a subordinate or in public view.
This archive consists of a topically organized selection of
articles culled by members of the Counter-Recruitment List Serve from printed
publications and web sites. The archive is not complete. We have chosen
material relevant to the work of