When The Army’s "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell" Is Used For Scams

I could spend the rest of my coming prose replete with all manner of diplomatic niceties, but I know it would be to no avail – someone will get mad at me for writing what I am about to write. With that said, I must address the apparent scam whereby one signed on to the dotted line, evidencing his or her assent to join the Army.

[caption id="attachment_1034" align="alignleft" width="342" caption="Army Helicopter and Hummer, Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army"][/caption]

The new soldier then goes through basic training and subsequently his job training… but moments before he or she is scheduled to go on active duty, he or she breaches the Army’s policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” by publicly coming out and letting the Army officials know he or she is gay.  This breach of the Army’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” edict is, by all intents and purposes, a summary termination of his or her service with the Army - no matter how long or brief.

Anyone with a semblance of sense knows that the Army’s policy of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” can be easily scammed. This is exactly what Sarah Isaacson did by getting the Army to spring for her education at the University of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at the tune of $80,000.00. Now, there is a law suit because the Army wants Sarah to reimburse it for the $80,000.00 it spent on her education.

In Law, there is a concept known as “opening the flood gates;” and if the Armed Forces do not nip this scam in the bud, then they are going to have the flood gates swing wide open – Think of all those in the Armed Forces receiving training for being lawyers, doctors, pilots, and engineers. Every single one of them can say that he or she is gay and be summarily removed from the Army. The Army would be out of all that money it spent on all these soldiers’ education, and in addition, also losing the skills needed for it to function.

It is important that anyone who signed this “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” contract be made to give the money back for the training he has received. I would even go further by having those who try to leave early before their service obligations end to pay for those obligations too. For example, if you signed up for a three-year tour and you breached the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law, then, you should be obligated to the Army for the education and the three years you initially signed up for.

This is nothing more than fulfilling one’s contractual obligations when he or she, through his or her own volition, signed the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” papers among the many. This has nothing to do with being gay or lesbian or not; it has to do with preventing a scam from being rampant. Sarah Isaacson must repay the Army the $80,000.00 for the education; she must also do so for what ever is the cost of her obligation to the Army, if it can be quantified.