European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday june 28, 1991 the stars and stripes a Pago 3 for 55,000 troops left in Gulf hoopla has a hollow ring by Leslie Dreyfous isolated situation away from hoi by Leslie Dreyfous the associated press t he persian Gulf War is Long Over an Dent history tied up with yellow ribbon and punctuated by the latest Parade to Welcome Home veterans of the 43-Day Blitz. But James Lee Melton a Navy Petty officer is now fighting another War. A i in so burned out and angry at everything a he wrote in a recent letter to the wife he has t seen in six months a when. I get Back you better hold me tight because you have a lot of bad to make into Good for these weeks have not been so joyous for the 55,000 american troops still serving in the persian Gulf or for their families. Cleaning up after War is a lot less glorious than celebrating the peace. A the military Isnit making headlines anymore a said Kathy Gill a staff member at the desert storm Community resource Center in Orlando Fla. A is there going to be a Parade for the people still out doing the Grunt work a. Those still. In. The Middle East fear be too late to attend Victory celebrations Given the nearly 500,000 , troops who began returning. Stateside shortly after the War ended in february. A and their families Arentt enjoying the festivities either a said Sandy Thunberg whose 20-year-old son is still in the Gulf. A a we re feeling left out alienated.�?�. It. Col. Jack Samii a Pentagon spokesman said the remaining . Forces probably will continue to trickle Home through november. A meanwhile they re Over there in an isolated situation away from Home a Samii said. A and any Lime a Soldier is away from Home,.he�?Ts lonely. Its very important to stay behind but military support groups report Volunteer interest and donations have fallen off precipitously. A a it a a weakness in us americans a said. Al Soltesz of operation Mustard seed in Latham , a we say to ourselves to be gotten mine but those kids Over there now Are having it tougher than when the shooting was that a Why Soltesz and other volunteers keep wrapping care packages sending letters and answering Calls from lonely spouses who in some cases Haven to seen their loved ones in months. A we get letters from the service people Over there saying a please done to forget those of us that Are still Here a a Soltesz a a said. A a. Toa a a a a on the Home front families still separated Are tired of waiting while some that have reunited Are troubled by Money or marital problems. A these people need support in the aftermath. As much As they did during the War a said Gay Jacobson whose operation yellow ribbon in san Francisco expanded to two dozen chapters nationwide during the War. A a there Sall this elation in terms of Homecoming. But that a hype and its wearing Down the american Alex Molnar founder of the military families support network said a Serviceman a father wrote him a yellow ribbons and parades Are wonderful. But we Are a Low income family. Is that Parade and yellow . My son who is still in Iraq a Star spangled greeting Matthew in Altner 2, is red White and Blue All Over to Welcome his father it. Mike Haffner Back from operation desert storm on wednesday at Nas Oceana in Virginia Beach a. Haffner was on the aircraft Carrier Theodore Roosevelt. On Gays won t mean in by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington a the army is not considering changes to its ban. On homosexuals in the service even though an internal memo has surfaced challenging the Long held notions on which that policy is based. The memo came to Light when lawyers for Joseph Steffan a homosexual who is challenging his 1987 dismissal from the . Naval Academy subpoenaed Justice department documents. A this document is a staggering admission by the army that its ban on Gays is based on prejudice and not military necessity a said Sandra Lowe an attorney with the new York based Lambda Legal defense and education fund which is representing Steffan. Steffan was dismissed six weeks before graduation based on his statement that he is a homosexual although he was not accused of Gay conduct. He had been one of the 10 highest ranking members of. His class and had commanded 800 fellow midshipmen. Lowe released the memo to the Media after obtaining it from the Justice department which is representing the government in the suit. She said the departments lawyers at first had sought to suppress the memo As a privileged army officials say the undated unsigned memo was drafted about 18 months ago when a number of suits challenging the military a policy on Gays were working their Way through the courts. A it was drafted by a personnel action officer on his own initiative at a time when it looked As courts might Rule the policy unconstitutional a said capt. Barbara Goodno an army spokeswoman in the Pentagon. A it was not drafted in response to a request from a Superior and it was not staffed or approved by the army leadership a Goodno said. Since it was written the memo has been in the files of the action officer whom she would not name. A there is no intent no plan to change our current policy a she said noting that the courts have generally upheld the military a ban on Gays. A even so Lowe said the memos proposals Are proof the military does no to usually Force people out because they drink or run up debts. But they always Force out attorney Sandra Lowe that the current policy is flawed and outdated. A and you can to Tell me there weren to any senior officers who saw that thing a she said. A if it had just been sitting in the files of the person who wrote it All this time How would the Justice department have gotten a copy a the memo proposes changing current policy to read a the army shall not discriminate in recruitment promotion or retention practices against persons of homosexual orientation As Long As they a exercise appropriate restraint and discretion with regard to their sexual Quot a the current Pentagon policy is based on two principles that homosexuality is a a incompatible with military duty and damaging to a discipline Good order and morale a and that Gays Are a Security risk As potential targets for blackmail. Since 1982, More than 10,000 servicemen Ibers have been separated for being Gay. Unless a crime such As rape is involved their discharges generally Are characterized As honorable. The army memo suggests commanders should be made to show that homosexual conduct in their units is harmful to discipline and Good order rather than making moral judgments based solely on the fact that such individuals exist in their units. A even though commanders might have a moral objection they must show evidence of a significant Impact on Good order and discipline based on specific homosexual behaviour in order to proceed with administrative or judicial action Quot the memo says. It also says no current research supports the idea that Gays Are a greater Security risk than heterosexuals. The Issue of Gays As Security risks made news this week when an air Force Captain had his discharge held up after he marched in a Gay Pride Parade in Washington last weekend. Greg Greeley was due to be separated monday but was detained for what air Force officials called a routine questioning that about whether he knew of other homosexuals in uniform. He was Given an honorable discharge a separation delay outraged some lawmakers including rep. Gerry id Studds d-mass., one of two admitted Gays in Congress and rep. Joseph p. Kennedy ii a mass. In a House floor speech tuesday Kennedy said the Pentagon used age thinking in handling the situation. After reporters raised the subject at a news briefing the same Day Pentagon spokesman Jim Turner acknowledged that there is a no empirical data Quot to suggest that Gays present a greater or lesser risk to than heterosexuals but Turner said if someone with a Security clearance tries to conceal personal information that May subject then to coercion or pressure a a whether its homosexuality adultery drug use alcoholism or financial problems a it becomes an Issue of possible concern from a Security standpoint. A that statement is disingenuous a Lowe said. A the military does t usually Force people out because they drink or run up debts. But they always Force out Lowe said its ironic that if the defense department adopted the army memos proposed changes Security concerns would vanish. A if people were allowed to stay in the military As admitted homosexuals it would be impossible to blackmail them it a she said. A the real reason Gays Are banned is because of attitudes and prejudices not Security a
