Army Update: The Officer Corps

Thom Shanker at the New York Times reports that young Army officers (Captains) are leaving the Army in greater numbers as they complete their service obligations (West Point: five years; ROTC: four years). Read the whole article; click here.

Even the most dedicated warriors cite the pressure on marriages caused by multiple deployments. How this is compatible with our current heterosexuals-only "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has yet to be explained - at all. 'No wonder the Pentagon has stopped defending the policy on whatever merits it may have had, and merely notes that the (then-Democratic) Congress passed the law (and then-President Clinton signed it).

From SLDN: What has also generally been noted, and [SLDN Executive Director Dixon] Osburn brought this up as well, is the way in which the military responds to questions about the necessity of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell."

During the ban’s early years, the Defense Department maintained that the policy was necessary for good order and discipline, and that gay soldiers had a deleterious effect on unit performance.

Now, the Defense Department does not defend the policy, but rather notes it is simply following a law enacted by Congress.

It's definitely time for our national leaders to encourage real Americans to consider military service, even if they eventually plan other careers later in life.

Hat tip to Steve Gilliard.