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Give the U.S. Army credit for the most successful campaign in the history of public relations.
During my days of Selective Service classification I-A, most of us went to considerable lengths to stay out.
But after 20 years of Be all you can be
(and a
dearth of decent civilian jobs for 18-year-olds), everybody
wants in. Many women complain that they can't get those
exciting combat roles. Lesbians and urnings expect
President Clinton to honor his promise to end the military
ban on homosexuals.
If history is any guide, the ban contributes nothing to the mission of any military establishment -- winning wars.
As Jack Kisling observed last week, Greek forces
maintained discipline and good order
while defeating
a Persian invasion in 490 B.C., despite diverse sexual
preferences among the hoplites. Further, most of us have
heard disquieting rumors about Alexander the Great.
In more recent times, Frederick the Great (and gay)
commanded the Prussian army to victory in campaigns that
are still studied for their brilliance. Baron von Steuben,
the stern drillmaster who built the American colonists'
ragtag militia into a disciplined force that defeated the
most powerful nation in the world -- well, Colorado for
Family Values wouldn't approve of him or his 17-year-old
tentmate, either. Her Majesty's British navy ruled the
waves in the days of rum, sodomy and the lash.
Most of our NATO allies now allow homosexuals to serve, so there's every chance that an American soldier will find himself in a foxhole with an open homosexual, no matter how thoroughly the American military purges itself. And it must be conceded that there are gay soldiers in American uniforms now, and that there always have been.
There are, of course, legitimate concerns. One is that officers could abuse their authority and force themselves on the unwilling. I know a sailor who was worried about that -- in fact, she mentioned such concerns long before the Tailhook scandal.
Another is the fear that if the ban is removed, then wholesome young Johnny will enlist and then be transformed into an avatar of immorality. As it is, though, our military takes a Sunday School product and turns him into a professional who can kill on command. If that is moral, what is immoral?
But in attempting to lift the ban with a stroke of the pen, President Clinton has ignored the traditional approach of the U.S. military when it comes time to expand the manpower pool.
Before President Truman ended racial segregation in the armed forces, black troops had to serve in separate outfits like the Tenth Cavalry. During World War II, Americans of Japanese ancestry didn't fight alongside their countrymen, but in a special Nisei brigade. Women now serve with men in the military, but they were previously confined to the WACS and WAVES.
For better or worse, that is how our military has always operated -- separate units at first, followed by merger into the general system. Here's the solution:
Announce the formation of a new gay battalion. Call it an experiment; the Pentagon will go along without audible complaint. Station the battalion at Fort Carson.
President Clinton could keep his campaign promise, the military could follow its traditional approach, and with this enforced lesson in tolerance, Colorado Springs will quit telling other cities how to treat their gay citizens.
Of course this won't please everyone, but it should work, and I haven't run across any better ideas.
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