Drop in Air Force Retention Rate Shows Need to Lift the Ban
A news story released Wednesday by the Air Force Times offers the latest example of how "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is undermining our military's readiness to fight during a critical time of war. According to statistics from the Department of Defense, enlisted retention rates for the Air Force in Fiscal Year 2008 fell to their lowest levels since 9/11.
This news provides some of the most tangible evidence to date that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is not only discriminatory and costly to taxpayers, but it deprives our armed services - and our nation - of the very men and women who are needed now more than ever to defend us. As the military faces increasing difficulty attracting and retaining qualified service members of all branches, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" continues to drain us of talent and expertise in its daily assault on the right of Americans to serve the country they love.
Since "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was enacted in 1993, the U.S. military has denied more than 12,500 qualified men and women - the size of at least several entire army battalions - the freedom to serve. As a result, our nation's ability to defend itself has suffered and will remain at grave risk until this unjust ban is lifted and patriots of all backgrounds are protected equally under the law.
10-22-08
1 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Jeremy Johnson in Washington, D.C. on October 29, 2008 at 02.19 pm
Based on my time in the service - I believe that while they may not be the most violent, the Air Force is certainly one of the most homophobic branches of service. As the second smallest and most stringent on entry requirements, the Air Force has lost many people due to its own practices. Homophobia is only one part of that equation. The push of an openly Christian agenda by USAF Academy grads is another. (The two exceptions to this MAY be the Services and the Medical Squadrons. My personal experience is that you will find many more GLB members in these jobs.) If someone can offer me an example of an inclusive Air Force environment, I’d love to hear about it. My hope is that with time, they’ve begun to change this mentality among.