Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Campbell lead in DADT discharges

Way to go, you dunces. As the military is depleted and the need for qualified people is greater than ever, it appears that kicking out the homos must be sport at Kentucky's Fort Campbell and Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood.

Fort Campbell had the single-biggest increase of discharged soldiers under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in 2005, according to the Department of Defense.

And Fort Campbell has the second highest rate of soldiers discharged under the policy behind Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

According to the Department of Defense, 49 soldiers were dismissed from Fort Campbell, an increase from 19 in 2004. Sixty people were dismissed last year from Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network isn't sure why these the spike in charges of gay soldiers is occurring at these two bases, but it's clear that there's a past problem that may factor in at Campbell.

It was at Fort Campbell where a soldier, Pfc. Barry Winchell, was bludgeoned to death in 1999 by a fellow soldier who believed Winchell was gay. Gay discharges from the base went up sharply on the heels of that murder, but later subsided.

"The numbers at Fort Campbell remain disturbing because of the history there," said C. Dixon Osburn, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. "The discharge numbers had gone significantly down. This seems to be a rebound. It's not clear why."

Steve Ralls, communication director with the SLDN says the post since 1999 has dealt quickly with anti-gay harassment, but he's not sure exactly why there's a recent spike in discharges.

Ralls said the new trend emerging in the SLDN caseloads are soldiers being outed by someone they know at various installations.

"I can't say that's been happening at Fort Campbell, but that's what we're seeing at more installations," he said, referring to ex-lovers, roommates and family members who don't approve of the soldier's sexual orientation. "It's an effective way to blackmail service members and put their careers in jeopardy. As don't ask, don't tell continues, they understand it's a very good way to exact revenge."

Of course the irony of this situation, Steve mentions in the article, is that hets are using the gay card to get out because of the hyperactivity surrounding the booting of the homos. When will the military wake up?

Also:
* Select Military Bases See Spike in 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Dismissals (SLDN)