Don't Ask; Don't Tell

This entry is inspired by Chosen Brotha's post on August 5th. Simple yet moving, it reminds us of the fragility of life, the effects of ill-advised national policies, and the tragic loss of lives including soldiers who work and fight to defend our countries even while living under the cloud of "don't ask, don't tell." As a former Army Reservist, Drill Sergeant and Infantry Officer, I still ache to see the loss of life in Iraq and other armed conflicts around the world. I have decided to share with you my perspective that was sent to Chosen Brotha on yesterday. "If you are near Andrews AFB, then you must really feel the tragedy of so manyAmericans returning home in coffins. Your photo was particularly poignant for me as I was an Army Reserve Drill Sgt. and Infantry Officer for 10 years. I saw poor training that would lead to mistakes and loss of lives. I have been out altogether now for 14 years, but I sometimes wonder if the training has improved. One of the problems was the training of soldiers took place in peacetime with no imminent threat of war. Thus, the soldiers and commanders did not do life or death training. I regret to say that the"touchy-feely" politically correct training going on(at least in 1991) when I left created vulnerable soldiers. Given the trend, I doubt if training has gotten better. " I am on my way to church now. I will offer a special prayer for all of those who continue to serve our country whether they are male or female, black or white or asian-american or hispanic american, or straight or gay. Shem hotep!