Former congressman Allen West is peeved that a veteran who was kicked out of the military because she is gay had her discharge status upgraded to “honorable discharge,” making her eligible for veterans benefits.
While the military has a review board which handles requests to change discharge statuses, West seems to think the move to change the gay former service member’s status is without precedent and even suggests that opening health care benefits to gay veterans will harm other veterans.
He blames the decision on “an executive order repealing the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ regulation,” despite the fact that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed by Congress.
I’m quite sure liberal progressive socialists and radical gay Lefties are going to be angry with this post — oh well, get over it.
The Obama administration’s social equality transformation of the U.S. military continues and now sets a serious precedent for negative ramifications. Will every gay Soldier now lobby to have his/her discharges upgraded in order to claim benefits? Our nation can barely care adequately for veterans as it is.
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What is crazy is that this former Soldier volunteered to be in the U.S. Army fully aware of rules and regulations, and violated one that resulted in her discharge under “other than honorable” conditions. Now, years later because of an executive order repealing the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” regulation, she is afforded an upgrade in her discharge?
Ms. Weiszmiller violated a regulation in existence at that time. The repeal today has no bearing upon her willing violation of that regulation. No one forced her into joining the U.S. Army, she did so voluntarily.
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My concern is the precedent this will create. Now any former military members who have been discharged “other than honorable” will come back and appeal for upgrade of discharge years after — and claim back pay or benefits.
Here we are struggling to care for veterans who served honorably — but then again, in Obamaworld, everyone deserves a trophy for showing up (or not). After all according to Susan Rice, even a deserter served with honor and distinction.
