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DADT Hits Home at CBS

Ian S. Thompson,
Senior Legislative Advocate,
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March 29, 2010

Fans of the this week from two women whose military careers were prematurely ended because of the discriminatory and counterproductive policy known as 鈥淒on鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell鈥 (DADT).

CBS News Correspondent Kimberly Dozier profiled former Army Medic Sgt. Lacye Presley and her partner Sgt. Holly Tomson. In the report, Dozier discloses that Sgt. Presley helped to keep her alive in 2006 after her CBS News team was hit by a car bomb in Iraq. Presley was awarded the Bronze Star for her exemplary actions; however, she would go on shortly thereafter to be discharged because of her sexual orientation. Someone, in an apparent act of retaliation, sent pictures of Presley and Tomson, who was serving stateside handling bomb-sniffing dogs at the time, to Presley鈥檚 battalion commander. This started the discharge process for both women.

In a bittersweet twist to the story of Sgt. Presley and Sgt. Tomson, both women would likely not have been discharged by the military under changes to DADT鈥檚 implementation issued by Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week.

To address the concerns of those who say allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would undermine unit cohesion or morale, Dozier interviews two members of Sgt. Presley鈥檚 former platoon. Sgt. Michael Cabaday states bluntly, 鈥淚've known quite a few medics since I've been in, and I'd say she's one of the most knowledgeable ones I've ever known. She knew her job in and out.鈥 Sgt. Rebecca Myers added 鈥淚 would serve with Sergeant Presley any day, no doubt about it. She's one of the best medics that I've ever seen in my 18 years of service.鈥 In listening to Cabaday and Myers, you can鈥檛 help but question the ridiculous nature of a policy that removes such talented men and women from their jobs.

The this year. Please to support this common sense step.

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