Latest News
07-16-09
By Mary McCarty, Staff Writer
Updated 1:51 AM Thursday, July 16, 2009
Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach is a supremely patient man.
He fulfills his mission every day, just as he has done for 18 years, never knowing when his Air Force job will finally be terminated by the infamous "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
"It will probably be October," Fehrenbach estimated. "The process takes at least four months."
Even his personal meeting with the commander in chief last month probably won't save his job as an assistant director of operations for the 366th Operations Support Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. But it has left him hopeful: "President Obama looks you straight in the eye. I have full faith this is a priority to him and very personal to him. He has experienced discrimination in his own life."
The 39-year-old Wayne High School grad traveled to the White House on June 29 to urge Obama to fulfill his campaign promise to end the policy, which has cost the U.S. military more than 13,000 personnel. "We've lost Arabic translators," lamented Fehrenbach, who was outed by a civilian acquaintance. "We've lost good people for no good reason. Twenty-seven other countries have repealed their ban. The U.S. is a beacon of liberty and freedom and human rights, yet we're behind other countries on a simple civil rights issue. It's just shameful."
Fehrenbach spent several minutes conversing with Obama during ceremonies commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall protests in New York. "One thing he said to me is that it's a generational issue and there is convincing to do," Fehrenbach recalled. "My sense is that there are senior leaders in the Pentagon who might need convincing."
Many have criticized Obama for being slow to fulfill his pledge to end the policy. "Delay isn't acceptable, but I do understand it," Fehrenbach said. "He has a lot of big things on his plate."
He also points to President Harry Truman's successful integration of the military, which was accomplished gradually: "There are a lot of parallels. I've read every argument in favor of the policy of segregation, and often it was the exact same words. The arguments were even harsher. There were outright racist claims, senators who said that African-Americans were not mentally capable of serving."
In recent days he has felt the momentum building more than any time in the past 15 years, with Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy drumming up support for a resolution that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." He's also encouraged by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' recent announcement that he favored enforcing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" selectively so some gays can serve in the military. Gates also has floated the notion of a "grandfather clause" to enable ousted gay military personnel to return to active duty. "Then I would like to come back and serve my commitment," Fehrenbach vowed.
His forbearance speaks volumes about the kind of person we are losing.
The U.S. military is kicking out men and women like this at a time when it's so desperate for new recruits that it's lowering admissions standards.
Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach is a patient man.
For the good of the country, let's not require patriots like him to be patient for a single day more.
Op Ed: Dayton Daily News (OH), “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy Costing Military
By Mary McCarty, Staff Writer
Updated 1:51 AM Thursday, July 16, 2009
Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach is a supremely patient man.
He fulfills his mission every day, just as he has done for 18 years, never knowing when his Air Force job will finally be terminated by the infamous "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
"It will probably be October," Fehrenbach estimated. "The process takes at least four months."
Even his personal meeting with the commander in chief last month probably won't save his job as an assistant director of operations for the 366th Operations Support Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. But it has left him hopeful: "President Obama looks you straight in the eye. I have full faith this is a priority to him and very personal to him. He has experienced discrimination in his own life."
The 39-year-old Wayne High School grad traveled to the White House on June 29 to urge Obama to fulfill his campaign promise to end the policy, which has cost the U.S. military more than 13,000 personnel. "We've lost Arabic translators," lamented Fehrenbach, who was outed by a civilian acquaintance. "We've lost good people for no good reason. Twenty-seven other countries have repealed their ban. The U.S. is a beacon of liberty and freedom and human rights, yet we're behind other countries on a simple civil rights issue. It's just shameful."
Fehrenbach spent several minutes conversing with Obama during ceremonies commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall protests in New York. "One thing he said to me is that it's a generational issue and there is convincing to do," Fehrenbach recalled. "My sense is that there are senior leaders in the Pentagon who might need convincing."
Many have criticized Obama for being slow to fulfill his pledge to end the policy. "Delay isn't acceptable, but I do understand it," Fehrenbach said. "He has a lot of big things on his plate."
He also points to President Harry Truman's successful integration of the military, which was accomplished gradually: "There are a lot of parallels. I've read every argument in favor of the policy of segregation, and often it was the exact same words. The arguments were even harsher. There were outright racist claims, senators who said that African-Americans were not mentally capable of serving."
In recent days he has felt the momentum building more than any time in the past 15 years, with Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy drumming up support for a resolution that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." He's also encouraged by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' recent announcement that he favored enforcing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" selectively so some gays can serve in the military. Gates also has floated the notion of a "grandfather clause" to enable ousted gay military personnel to return to active duty. "Then I would like to come back and serve my commitment," Fehrenbach vowed.
His forbearance speaks volumes about the kind of person we are losing.
The U.S. military is kicking out men and women like this at a time when it's so desperate for new recruits that it's lowering admissions standards.
Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach is a patient man.
For the good of the country, let's not require patriots like him to be patient for a single day more.
