Virginia Tech ROTC officials are downplaying the impact of a recent court ruling declaring the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy unconstitutional.
“We haven’t had any issues,” said Dan Kresge, unit admissions officer for Tech’s Air Force ROTC.
Kresge said that students in the ROTC program are held to the same rules and regulations as any other military personnel, and that the recent court ruling had yet to have an
effect.
Members of the Corp of Cadets who are not in the ROTC program are not bound by the DADT policy, said Col. Rock Roszak, director of alumni relations for the corps. The non-ROTC cadets are governed by university policy rather than military guidelines.
Tech’s Principles of Community prohibit discrimination based on several categories, including sexual orientation.
The DADT policy, enacted in 1993, allows for gay soldiers to serve, provided they do not engage in “homosexual conduct.” Additionally, soldiers entering the military are not asked about their sexual orientation.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips of California, who presided over the case, ruled on Sept. 9 that the policy was unconstitutional because it was a violation of both free speech and due process.
Tech cadets are unable to comment on the topic. However, Tech student Jeremy Andrews, a former Marine and a member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance, said a soldier’s sexual orientation was “the last thing on almost everyone’s mind.”
“Most of them and even some of the guys I served with say, ‘I don’t care, as long as they can point a gun downrange and kill a person or cover my back, or do their job, that’s all that matters when crap is hitting the fan,’” Andrews said.
Andrews, who is gay, said he left the Marines to pursue romantic relationships openly.
He said without the support of his commanding officer, his departure would have most likely been listed as a dishonorable discharge.
“My direct officer and my commanding officer were both very supportive,” Andrews said. “My commanding officer looked at me and said ‘There is nothing in your record that would state otherwise. I will do everything in my power to support an honorable discharge.’ And he did.”
A move to end DADT stalled Tuesday, with the U.S. Senate failing to carry enough votes to advance a defense bill containing a conditional repeal of the policy.
A version of this article appeared in the Sep 22 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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I think the title of the article is misleading.
They're not "downplaying" it.
As implied by the rest of the article, it's just not a huge deal here at Virginia Tech.
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It very well could be a huge deal to some of those cadets who are "unable to answer." And don't forget that they, too, are hokies (and, thus, a part of Virginia Tech).
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