Congressman releases discharge data in fight against 'don't ask, don't tell'

James Moran, D-Va., began releasing information Thursday on gay troops discharged from the military in the hopes of helping bring an end to the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. The Army discharged 11 soldiers for homosexuality in January, said Moran, who represents the 8th District and serves on the House defense appropriations subcommittee. He said that number included an intelligence collector, water treatment specialist and military police officer, without releasing their names. "It underscores the fact that we're still losing members of the military for reasons other than performance," he told The Examiner. "My personal feeling is the Army can't afford to be losing professional soldiers for reasons that are not directly related to their ability to carry out their military mission." Moran especially questioned the firings at a time when the military is relaxing its recruitment standards to meet its goals, including by issuing more felony waivers. He said he was not sure if he would release the data each month. The military discharged nearly 10,000 service members under the policy in a 10-year period, from 1997 to 2007. The number fired each year dropped sharply after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, when forces were stretched thin. Whereas more than 1,200 were dismissed in 2000 and again in 2001 for violating the policy, about half as many–627–were fired in 2007. The Pentagon has not released its 2008 figures. President Barack Obama has signaled that he wants to abolish "Don't ask, don't tell," a 16-year-old Clinton administration policy that requires gay members of the military to keep their sexuality a secret. The White House has not indicated how or when that ban could be lifted. A 2008 ABC News/Washington Post poll found that about three-quarters of Americans supported allowing gays to serve in the military, whether or not they disclose their orientation. The Associated Press contributed to this report.