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It’s Hard To Kick a Good Man Out

Jim Burroway

June 7th, 2007

Remember Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Knight, the openly gay sailor who thought he had been kicked out under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” only to be reactivated for an Individual Ready Reserve tour in Kuwait? When the Navy found out about the mixup, they kicked him out again. You’d think that would be the end of the story, wouldn’t you?

Well, this morning’s Stars and Stripes is reporting that once again, Knight wasn’t kicked all the way out again:

However, in the latest twist, Knight’s new discharge papers — like his previous discharge papers — do not mention homosexual conduct as the reason for his dismissal. Instead, they cite “completion of required active service.” And they list his recall code as RE-1, with a reserve obligation ending in April 2009.

The Navy says they are looking into the matter. When asked if he would go back to active duty if he were somehow called, Knight simply replied, “Of course I would.”

Since leaving the Navy last May, Knight became a spokesperson for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which is actively working for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

It seems that with our armed services being stretched thin on all fronts in an increasingly unpopular war, denying Knight’s eagerness to serve is a terrible waste to all those who voluntarily put their lives in danger.

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