American Morning
Confidential DoD memo outlines problems for wounded troops
From CNN’s Barbara Starr
While the military has instituted dozens of programs to help troubled soldiers with post traumatic stress, brain injuries, and other problems, a number of troops at Fort Hood have privately told the nation’s top military officer they feel they are treated poorly because they are wounded, ill or injured.
In an April 19 confidential memo to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, outlined a number of problems he observed during a trip to several military locations in Texas days before. CNN obtained the memo from a military source, and both the Army and Mullen staffers confirmed its authenticity.
During the visit Mullen met privately with about 30 wounded troops at Fort Hood. “The wounded expressed concern that, at Fort Hood, they were stigmatized and treated as lesser Soldiers (sic) for being wounded, ill, or injured.” The troops had previously been treated at Brooke Army Medical Center where they said they were a higher priority for that staff, than the Army staff at Fort Hood.
Gay soldier appeals to Obama
Some of the demonstrators President Obama heard while in Los Angeles yesterday were demanding he make good on a campaign promise to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. You met the gay soldier who's leading the movement for change on "American Morning," and as CNN's Ted Rowlands tells us, he was there trying to get some face-time with the president.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
From CNN's Carol Costello and Ronni Berke
It's a promise President Barack Obama keeps on making: “Don't Ask. Don't Tell” will go away. In February 2008, he told a crowd: "I'm going to do it by putting together a military panel made up of people like General [John Shalikashvili]."
The president said that as a candidate last year. So far no panel of any kind has been convened to discuss the best way to allow gays to serve openly. Critics say Mr. Obama hasn't even issued an executive order prohibiting the military from firing gay soldiers like Lt. David Choi, until that "panel" is born.
"I want to serve," Choi told CNN. "I want to fight, I want to serve my country but because I'm gay and nobody wants to do anything about it right now of course that's supremely frustrating."
Nobody is doing much about it right now because, despite presidential support, there is still some opposition to repealing the measure.
Some, like retired Army Lt. Colonel Robert Maginnis, oppose repealing the law. “You have forced intimate situations where you say, look, you know, you're going to room with this person, and that's an order. Then, in fact, you can begin to have the residuals, the morale issue, the whole issue about retention and recruitment come up.”
The Pentagon says they can't move on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" until Congress does first.
“This building views 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' as the law of the land until Congress acts otherwise,” says Defense Department Press Secretary Geoff Morrell. “We can't willy-nilly choose which laws we wish to abide by and those we don't.”
Gitmo torture allegations
One military attorney is speaking out – accusing the military and the government of beating, drugging, and abusing some detainees under former President Bush. The allegations are disturbing – and go much further than anything documented in memos released so far.
Government documents show 28 CIA detainees were subjected to harsh interrogation techniques. But a military attorney for one detainee who was freed from Guantanamo told us in her first on-camera interview in the U.S. She believes there may be more.
Warning: Interview contains graphic language
Related: Watch the FULL interview
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Gay soldier: Don't fire me
Editor’s note: Lt. Daniel Choi is a founding member of Knights Out, an organization of out Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) West Point Alumni. An estimated 65,000 LGBT Americans serve in the armed forces. The views expressed here are Dan Choi’s personal views and not those of the Department of Defense or the Department of the Army.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/11/art.dan.choi.jpg caption= "Lt. Daniel Choi is an Iraq combat veteran and a West Point graduate with a degree in Arabic."]
By Lt. Daniel Choi
Special to CNN
Open Letter to President Obama and Every Member of Congress:
I have learned many lessons in the ten years since I first raised my right hand at the United States Military Academy at West Point and committed to fighting for my country. The lessons of courage, integrity, honesty and selfless service are some of the most important.
At West Point, I recited the Cadet Prayer every Sunday. It taught us to "choose the harder right over the easier wrong" and to "never be content with a half truth when the whole can be won." The Cadet Honor Code demanded truthfulness and honesty. It imposed a zero-tolerance policy against deception, or hiding behind comfort.
Following the Honor Code never bowed to comfortable timing or popularity. Honor and integrity are 24-hour values. That is why I refuse to lie about my identity.
I have personally served for a decade under Don't Ask, Don't Tell: an immoral law and policy that forces American soldiers to deceive and lie about their sexual orientation. Worse, it forces others to tolerate deception and lying. These values are completely opposed to anything I learned at West Point. Deception and lies poison a unit and cripple a fighting force.
As an infantry officer, an Iraq combat veteran and a West Point graduate with a degree in Arabic, I refuse to lie to my commanders. I refuse to lie to my peers. I refuse to lie to my subordinates. I demand honesty and courage from my soldiers. They should demand the same from me.
FULL POST
Filed under: Commentary • Gay Rights • Military