Originally posted by cav58d
Gunslinger - How does the whole "jail time, or Marine Corps" work? Have you experienced many of these guys coming through your BT? Whats your thoughts
We actually have a procedure in the USAF BMT for this specifically in the manual. There's also a video that we have to show them in the first week on the DOD policy on "Don't ask Don't Tell".
Basically it's this:
If a trainee say's he/she is gay I personally first react that they want to go home and they want to say anything to get there. I try and convince them to stay and tell them that the quickest way out is to actually graduate BMT. WHen there flight graduates they will still be here in a holding squadron trying to get seperation orders.
More serious admissions get reffered to our operations officer who has a reg that tells him how to react to specific situations.
Admissions of homosexuality alone are not grounds for seperation. Admissions of actual homosexual acts after being made aware of their rights are in fact grounds for administrative actions.
Basically somone can be gay but as long as that aspect of their life is kept personal and not shared they are free and clear to serve. Once you cross the boundry of actually admitting to homosexual acts it's a different story.
Keep in mind there are all sorts of checks and balences in play here that prevent a good troop from leaving the military, and the troop gets referred to all sorts of different agencys before any type of adminstrative actions are performed.
Each time they are counsled by these agencies they are made aware of their rights to keep their private lifes private and that if they don't wish to talk about it the process ends right then and there.
IMHO and based on my experience 9 times out of 10 an admin sep from the military for homosexuality is because the person doesn't want to be there any more.
as far as "jail time or the military" that no longer exists in any service (other than the Army) most service meet or come close to their recruiting goals that they don't have to hire criminals and usually out right refuse anyone who had a judge tell they they'd get off parole early if they enlisted.
I had a fellow "hat" get in trouble because one of his trainees wanted to go home and told his instructor that he was gay. This instructor proceeded to undo his belt and unbutton his pants and say "prove it". The kid then say he wasn't gay after all but got the instructor in trouble for "mal-training"