If we have to have a military, lets not kick people out of it for dumb reasons
Unit cohesion was invoked when the question of racial integration was brought to the top military brass. How could maneuvers be expected to be carried out as planned while a target for burning hatred walked amongst our numbers, distracting with their differences? But when the order came, it was shown that the military is no stranger to following orders, and integration was quick and final. Integrating gays into the military would be different. It would be easier. While racial integration required breaking up all black units, all we have to do with our current issue is simply stop firing people who don't want to lie about having a same-sex relationship.
A recent study concluded that sexual orientation has no effect on unit cohesion, but research in the field of unit cohesion is not new and almost unanimously supports the fact that task cohesion is not necessarily effected by a slight decrease in social cohesion, and years of anecdotes already told us this. There have been many cases of people who were known to be gay and allowed to serve for years, soaking up expensive military training and proving themselves to be essential personnel, and sometimes their sexuality was even an "open secret" before there was a shift in their chain of command and someone decided that being willing to die for your country does not trump forbidden bedroom behavior. On top of everything, the don't ask don't tell policy disproportionately affects women in the military.
Regardless of your opinion on homosexuality, "don't ask, don't tell," is an expensive mistake that has no practical purpose and should be ended asap. Anyone who wants to be an instrument of imperialist foreign policy and die protecting corporate interests should have that right.
A recent study concluded that sexual orientation has no effect on unit cohesion, but research in the field of unit cohesion is not new and almost unanimously supports the fact that task cohesion is not necessarily effected by a slight decrease in social cohesion, and years of anecdotes already told us this. There have been many cases of people who were known to be gay and allowed to serve for years, soaking up expensive military training and proving themselves to be essential personnel, and sometimes their sexuality was even an "open secret" before there was a shift in their chain of command and someone decided that being willing to die for your country does not trump forbidden bedroom behavior. On top of everything, the don't ask don't tell policy disproportionately affects women in the military.
Regardless of your opinion on homosexuality, "don't ask, don't tell," is an expensive mistake that has no practical purpose and should be ended asap. Anyone who wants to be an instrument of imperialist foreign policy and die protecting corporate interests should have that right.