by Michael Cook

Created on: May 06, 2010   Last Updated: May 07, 2010

There is absolutely no logic behind the continued prohibition of homosexual people being allowed to serve openly in the US  military.

In fact, at a time when the military is as strained as it is today, the policy of booting out competent and skilled people is beyond illogical. It is ludicrous.

Several years into the Iraq conflict, a soldier who was fluent in Arabic, and an acknowledged intelligence asset by his superiors, was discharged from the service  for being open and honest about his sexual orientation.

The discharge of this individual occurred at the same time a study  revealed just how lacking our intelligence and military services are in terms of personnel who speak and understand a variety of Arab and Middle Eastern languages.

But still, the young soldier fluent in Arabic was discharged for being  honest about being gay.

It all gives new meaning to the concept of biting off one's nose to spite one's face.

Many of our allies, including Canada, Great Britain, and Israel, have long allowed openly gay personnel to serve in those nations' militaries with there being absolutely no evidence that doing so negatively impacts "unit cohesion" or "morale".

So, what gives with the US military?

The easy, and incomplete, answer is "Homophobia".

But I believe there is something  far more dangerous happening in and to our military than allowing gay people who want to serve  could ever be.

What I am referring to is the growing influence of Far Right, Christian fundamentalism within much of the rank and file of the US military.

The phenomenon is real and  causing mounting concern within many in the top brass..

It should be causing an equal degree of concern among our elected officials and ordinary Americans alike. Unfortunately, that is not happening. People are more concerned about gays serving in the military, despite the fact those countries that allow gays to serve openly and honorably have proven there are virtually no negatives in so doing.

Religious extremism within a nation's military, however, is a far greater threat to not only "unit cohesion" and "morale", but also to the freedoms and liberties of the citizens the military is charged with defending.

Over the last several years, with the nation at war on two fronts in predominately Muslim countries, the growing influence of fundamentalist Christians in the US military has become particularly worrisome and problematic.

But it is rarely openly talked about or discussed.

Instead, the smoke screen of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is what fills the airwaves of television and talk radio,  the editorial pages of news papers,  the blogospehere, and the often inane world of political punditry.

That's really a shame because it is not gays being able to serve openly that threatens the integrity of our military. It is the creeping religious extremism, albeit of the Christian variety,permeating our armed services that will prove to be the biggest threat to our military's integrity and our  nation's democratic institutions and security in the years ahead.

But hey, since nobody's asking, nobody's telling that harsh truth either.

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