Integrity in the Service

“It mandates that gay soldiers lie to their brothers and sisters-in-arms. It compromises their personal integrity”

 

After serving for three years in the US Army, Pepe Johnson was dismissed under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy”.  Now he educates others and joins the battle for equality for ALL in the US Armed Forces and hopes his story will help you understand the need for change.

 

 

This week, Jim Lawson, Speak Out reporter for WVAS QUEER NEWS speaks to him about his experience.

WVQN:  How old were you when you enlisted into the US Army?

Johnson:  I joined the Army when I was twenty-one.

WVQN:   What led to your decision to serve your country in the armed forces?

Johnson: I was getting ready to graduate from Fairmont State, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. During a career fair on campus, I stopped by the Army Recruiter’s booth and asked a few questions. I did a lot of research before deciding to join. In the end, my family was the biggest influence. I have an uncle and great-uncle, who both retired from the military. Both of my grandfather’s served in World War II. My mother’s family - some of the first settlers in West Virginia - have served in virtually every conflict the US has ever fought. I’m proud of who I am and where I’m from.

WVQN:  How long did you serve?  (Detail your experience(S) here)

Johnson:  I served for three years, from January 2000, until February 2003. I’m originally from Clarksburg and graduated from Fairmont State College in 1999. About six months before graduation, I decided to join the military. I went to Pittsburgh for the physical. I served in combat arms as a field artilleryman. I was going to be an officer, but wanted to enlist first. I always believed being an enlisted soldier first would make me a better officer. I went to basic and advanced training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After training, I was assigned to Fort Sill and spent my entire enlistment there. In 2001 I was selected as the Fort Sill Soldier of the Year. A few months later, with less than two years in the Army, I was promoted to sergeant. I served as a gunner and assistant chief of section for a 105 mm howitzer.I didn’t come out until I joined the Army. Like a lot of people, I struggled with my sexual orientation throughout high school and college. I tried to date some girls, but it just never worked. I avoided talking about sex and romance. I couldn’t relate to my friends who were dating and building relationships. One of the best things about coming out is my ability to relate to my straight friends. Relationships aren’t very different whether they’re straight or gay. I can talk to my friends about what’s going on in their lives and what’s going on in mine. That’s important for a military leader. What is he supposed to do when a soldier is having problems with his girlfriend back in the States? Or going through a divorce? Leadership is all about relating to others. But trying to neutralize a part of yourself, it becomes difficult to relate to others.

I am glad to say that many of my friends from my time in the Army are still my friends today. I’ve visited them at their homes all over the US. I’ve been to their weddings. Some of them will be joining me to lobby Congress this coming March. I’m truly thankful for them.

WVQN:  What events led to your discharge under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy?

Johnson:  Actually, I turned in a statement. The situation in my unit had deteriorated to a point where I felt I had no alternative. My first sergeant - that’s the senior sergeant in a company or battery - was making homophobic statements. These were truly perverse, beyond anything you might see in a movie. One of my straight soldiers came to me to complain how much it bothered him. This is also in violation of the law - the full name is “Don’t ask, Don’t tell, Don’t pursue, Don’t harass” - as well as sexual harassment regulations.

Besides the verbal harassment, it seemed like the first sergeant was targeting me for something. Room inspections happen all the time, but the first sergeant typically selected a few rooms at random. Somehow my room was always selected. A soldier was arrested for drug trafficking. He had been assigned to a different section, but was moved to mine after being placed in the correctional facility. Everyday I had to report where my soldiers were, so everyday I had to advise the commander that one of my soldiers was in prison. I was also trained in suicide prevention. A soldier came to me because of some emotional problems he was going through and I took him to see the professional counselors on post. I called the battery to advise them of our whereabouts, but the first sergeant and one of the platoon sergeants berated me when I returned.

I became fearful that the first sergeant was looking to ruin me. I had planned to apply for Officer Candidate School and a negative mark on my record could have ruined my chances. I also became frustrated having to lie to my friends and pretend I had a girlfriend in Oklahoma City. It became harder and harder to keep a secret that had nothing to do with my abilities to fight or lead soldiers. I will be a better leader in the future, because I have maintained my integrity.

WVQN:  Describe the humiliation you felt during the discharge process.

Johnson:  The discharge process should have been a lot simpler than it was. The commander requested an investigation. As part of the investigation they wanted to ensure that I was really gay and not lying in order to get out of the military. Besides asking me, they asked several other sergeants, including my platoon sergeant. He was discussing my case with someone and his driver overheard. His driver told a friend and soon everyone in the battalion knew. This wasn’t embarrassing for me, but rather for my commander, who had ordered everything be kept hush-hush. I, actually, got a lot of support from the other NCO’s  and soldiers. Many of them expressed how ridiculous the whole situation was. Besides the commander ordering me to keep quiet, the first sergeant would tell me not to participate in physical training (PT) the next day. When I showed up in BDU’s  (camouflage), he would chew me out for being out of uniform. The day after that I would wear the PT uniform and he would yell at me for wearing the wrong uniform. This particular game went on for about two weeks.

Perhaps the funniest situation was during the out-processing. When you leave an installation, you have to go to various offices and departments on post to make sure you take care of everything. If a soldier is being discharged for criminal conduct, the commander may order someone to escort him to make sure the process is completed. My first sergeant decided I should have an escort. The sergeant assigned to escort me was unable to drive to my appointments, because he lost his license due to drunk driving. Office after office, he would be asked why I needed an escort. There were plenty of comments about my first sergeant. Most of them shouldn’t be repeated.

WVQN:  How do you think the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy failed gay soldiers?  How has it made it even easier to discharge them?

Johnson:  It mandates that gay soldiers lie to their brothers and sisters-in-arms. It compromises their personal integrity. Lying is what compromises unit cohesion, not the presence of an openly gay soldier. Gay soldiers who are barely coming out have no one they can turn to. Even telling a military chaplain or doctor, is grounds for discharge. You can’t tell anyone, including, civilians, like your mom. Leaders have long recognized the importance of making the soldier’s personal and family life easier in order to allow him to focus on the mission. Don’t ask, Don’t tell makes the gay soldier’s life more difficult. We can’t communicate to our loved ones in the same way a straight soldier can. When we return from an overseas deployment, our partners cannot meet us at the airport, like the wives of straight soldiers can.

It’s easier to discharge gay soldiers, because the commanders are mandated to do so. It’s a law, not a guideline. Prior to this, the commanders were given some leeway to retain soldiers who may have been deemed “mission-essential.” Some commanders look the other way when they hear accusations of homosexual conduct, but it becomes difficult to escape rumors. The Army is just like a family. Even when you move from one unit to the next, it’s likely someone you served with before will turn up in the new unit. If a previous commander chose to ignore the allegations, there’s no guarantee the next commander will also. This means commanders are hesitant  to ignore allegations, because they may be reprimanded for not doing what the law requires of them.

WVQN:  What battles are you currently involved in to change this and other discriminating polices within the armed forces?

Johnson:  During my discharge, I was assisted by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), so I have done a lot of volunteer work for them. Perhaps, the biggest event for them, and the most important for us, is their annual Lobby Days. Every spring, people from across the country travel to Washington to visit their Congressional representatives and encourage them to repeal Don’t ask, Don’t tell. The important thing is that the representatives hear from us. If you can’t go to Washington, you can try the local office. You can send an email.Currently the Military Readiness Enhancement Act has 136 co-sponsors. We need as many people as possible to contact their reps in Washington to support this bill. It would be great if someone from West Virginia could join us in March, but even if you can’t join us, you can still send an email. If Congress doesn’t hear from the constituents, they aren’t likely to pass the bill.

The Internet is great for encouraging people to talk about things. I regularly look for articles and stories online about Don’t ask, Don’t tell. Sometimes they have discussion boards and I try to take every opportunity to educate others about the reality of Don’t ask, Don’t tell. A lot of people who don’t participate still read the comments left by others. I try never to waste an opportunity.

WVQN:  How important is this presidential election in the fight and who do you feel would make the most contribution toward the battle for equality of the LGBT community?

Johnson:  First, we have to remember that Congress must pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to change anything. Don’t ask, Don’t tell is a law, not just a policy put out by the Department of Defense. That said, the president will have to sign the bill. All of the Democrats will sign the bill when it crosses their desk. But, I also believe some of the Republicans would sign as well. I’m very cautious about saying one candidate or another is better on GLBT issues. Especially, since I work on the issue of Don’t ask, Don’t tell. It was a Democratic congress who passed the bill and a Democratic president who signed it into law; giving us Don’t ask, Don’t tell. I think a lot of the rhetoric is an attempt to apologize for that. The candidates are intelligent people. Many of whom have experience in Congress and they know that Congress must act first. Presidential leadership will be important, but it’s not the only factor. I can hear it already, “I support you, but it’s not the right time yet.” Imagine saying the same thing to African-Americans about any of the injustices they have suffered!

WVQN:  Tell us about your web site:  www.IntegrityInService.org

Johnson:  I started the web site in September with the help of one of my Army buddies, Justin. Justin was one of the guys I came out to before being discharged. He’s straight and I’m gay, but we both find the current policy ridiculous. Justin, also, has an interest in changing the policy because of the accusations made against him. He was engaged, but it was called off when he was shipped to Korea. During my investigation, other friends were asked not only about me, but about him. The only “evidence” against him was being my friend. The commander was trying to suggest that Justin and I could only be friends because we were both gay. We believe soldiers should be able to serve with integrity. Gay soldiers shouldn’t be forced to lie about their sexual orientation in order to serve their country. Soldiers shouldn’t be questioned about their sexual orientation in order to make them look bad. Over one million GLBT veterans are alive today across America. They earned their honorable discharges. Honor, courage, loyalty are all important values, but how can we let Don’t ask, Don’t tell compromise the value of integrity?

WVQN: What do we need to do as individuals in the GLBT community to make a difference?

Johnson:  First, I would recommend you contact your Congressional representatives. You can visit www.house.gov and, even send an email to their office from the web site. Be sure to reference the bill number and name: HR 1246: The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2007. If you want help, get in touch with me and I can help guide you through the process. If you have the means and the time, I would also invite you to join me in Washington in March for SLDN Lobby Days. Anyone who is seriously interested should contact me. Several folks from Dallas will be joining me and we can work together to share expenses. Besides visiting their offices in Washington, you can make appointments to visit their local offices in West Virginia.

If you are a GLBT veteran, I would invite you to make a guest contribution to the IntegrityInService.org  blog. (Currently the URL for the blog is: www.IntegrityInService.org/blog2

Every time we share our stories, we add to the evidence supporting gays in the military.

WVQN:  Why is it important to get involved, even when it may not affect us directly?

Johnson:  Military service is a hallmark of citizenship. When our country started, only white men who owned property were allowed to vote. Voting is the essence of citizenship in a democracy. Revolutionary war veterans were often awarded land for their service and that is how many of our ancestors came to West Virginia. Now they were veterans, landowners, and voters, they had influence. Don’t ask, Don’t tell creates a convenient fiction that allows others to ignore our contributions because we must serve in silence. As long as some believe we don’t contribute equally, they will continue to reject equality in other areas.

WVQN:  Where do we stand now with this issue and where do you envision us in five years?

Johnson:  In five years, Don’t ask, Don’t tell will be a thing of the past. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act has 136 co-sponsors. Surveys, polls and research studies conducted over the past few years indicate that Americans - including, those serving in the military - support allowing gays to serve openly in the military. The GLBT activist community needs to move Don’t ask, Don’t tell to the top of their list of priorities. If they do, we will see Don’t ask, Don’t tell gone even sooner. And other changes will come about sooner as well.

WVQN:  Pepe, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. We appreciate your time and YOU truly are an HONORABLE SOLDIER in this battle.  Thank you!

For more information on how to become involved, email Pepe at: pepe@integrityinservice.org

Interviewed by:  Jim Lawson

webcowboy42@aol.com