Box Turtle Bulletin

SLDN Announces New Campaign To Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

The Servicemember’s Legal Defense Network (SLDN) today has announced a new a media campaign to urge the Congress and President to take immediate action to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Every weekday morning, the SLDN, in partnership with BTB and several other leading blogs, will share an open letter to the President from a person who is impacted by this discriminatory law.

While news reports indicate that the Administration would prefer to put off repeal of DADT until next year, we are actually at a critical stage in which the repeal can occur now. The House and Senate Armed Services Committee will soon begin marking up the Defense Authorization Bill. That bill represents the best opportunity to repeal DADT in the near term. It just so happens that in 1993, the Defense Authorization Bill was the same vehicle that was used to bring DADT into being. There is no reason not to use the same method to repeal it today.

According to the SLDN:

“This is a critical hour as we’re very close to reaching the 15 votes needed to include repeal to the Defense Authorization bill,” said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.  “We are just two or three votes away and we urge the President to engage now and help us line up key votes still needed to get DADT repealed this year.  By people sharing their personal stories on how this terrible law has impacted them, we can send a powerful message to the President and our own community as we build momentum going into this crucial vote.”

By visiting the SLDN web site, you can take specific action such as  sending a letter to your member of Congress, posting the daily letter to your Facebook and Twitter feeds (use the hashtag #DADTstories and the campaign short link http://bit.ly/cLUsmp), and generally spreading the word. The SLDN’s facebook page can be found here.

Other blogs participating in this campaign include AmericaBlog, Pam’s House Blend, Bilerico Project, PageOneQ, OpenLeft, AKA WIlliam, Good As You, LGBT POV, and Michael in Norfolk.

Maj. Mike Almy, US Air Force

Here is today’s letter from Major Mike Almy, a thirteen-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force:

April 26, 2010

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

If you end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), I’d re-enlist the day you sign repeal into law.

For thirteen years, I served in the United States Air Force where I attained the rank of major before I was discharged under DADT.

As the Senate Armed Services Committee considers including repeal in the Defense Authorization bill, we’re very close — just two or three votes — to passing repeal in committee. I ask for you to voice your support to put us over the top.

I come from a family with a rich legacy of military service.  My father is a West Point graduate who taught chemistry at the Air Force Academy, flew helicopters in Vietnam, and ultimately retired as a senior officer from the Air Force.  One of my uncles retired as a Master Gunnery Sergeant from the Marine Corps, with service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.  Another uncle served in the Army in Korea.

Growing up, I didn’t really know what civilians did, I just knew I would follow in my father’s footsteps and become a military officer.

I joined Air Force ROTC in 1988 and was awarded a scholarship.  I earned my jump wings in 1991.  In 1992, I graduated from ROTC in the top 10% of all graduates nationwide.  In 1993, I went on active duty, just as DADT was becoming a law.

Stationed in Oklahoma, I was named officer of the year for my unit of nearly 1,000 people.  Later, I was one of six officers selected from the entire Air force to attend Professional Military Education at Quantico, Virginia.

During my career, I deployed to the Middle East four times.  In my last deployment, I led a team of nearly 200 men and women to operate and maintain the systems used to control the air space over Iraq.  We came under daily mortar attacks, one of which struck one of my Airmen and also caused significant damage to our equipment.  Towards the end of this deployment to Iraq, I was named one of the top officers in my career field for the entire Air Force.

In the stress of a war zone, the Air Force authorized us to use our work email accounts for “personal or morale purposes” because private email accounts were blocked for security.

Shortly after I left Iraq — during a routine search of my computer files — someone found that my “morale” was supported by the person I loved — a man.

The email — our modern day letter home — was forwarded to my commander.

I was relieved of my duties, my security clearance was suspended and part of my pay was terminated.

In my discharge proceeding, several of my former troops wrote character reference letters for me, including one of my squadron commanders. Their letters expressed their respect for me as an officer, their hope to have me back on the job and their shock at how the Air Force was treating me.

Approximately a year after I was relieved of my duties, my Wing Commander recommended I be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, even though the Air Force was actively pursuing my discharge.

But instead, after 16 months, I was given a police escort off the base as if I were a common criminal or a threat to national security.  The severance pay I received was half of what it would have been had I been separated for any other reason.

Despite this treatment, my greatest desire is still to return to active duty as an officer and leader in the United States Air Force, protecting the freedoms of a nation that I love; freedoms that I myself was not allowed to enjoy while serving in the military.

Mr. President, I want to serve.  Please fulfill your promise to repeal DADT and give me that chance.

Thank you,
Major Mike Almy
United States Air Force