Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Intolerance, Injustice, Infantry!

The soldiers receive safety briefings what seems like every other day around here.  Certainly on Friday afternoons, and before they can be released to go do just about anything.  They are lame usually, and generally include the guys in charge telling the guys that aren't in charge not to drink and drive, don't beat their wives, and don't smoke spice, and wear your seat belt.  Blahblahblah.  I appreciate the intention but I'm genuinely skeptical that just telling people not to do these things would effectively prevent them from happening.

On a recent weekend, there was a more in depth safety briefing given, especially to soldiers going out of town for the weekend (we went to Myrtle Beach for a retreat).  Gunnar and the other soldiers received an actual form describing what behaviors they are not permitted to engage in. 

Some prohibited acts included:
  • Drinking and driving
  • speeding
  • proper and consistent use of seatbelts
  • drug use
  • underage drinking, providing alcohol to minors
*here's where it gets really interesting
  • Adultery, statutory rape and ... homosexuality (including watching homosexual pornography) are illegal  
Whoa there, hold on a second!  Somehow they just grouped watching homosexual pornography in with raping minors and cheating on your spouse.  After that part it goes on to say that being a Paratrooper means you are expected to do the right thing, morally and legally etc.  It stresses that misconduct will be severely punished.

What happened to repealing DADT?  And all of the equality?  Apparently it hasn't trickled down quite far enough if it is still considered as bad, morally and legally, as raping a teenager.

Where do they come up with this stuff?!?!

By the way, this info was taken straight from DA FORM 4856.

1 comment:

  1. Holy crap. I can't believe that. Frankly I don't know how it's legal to try to control the sexuality of your employees. But who am I to question the well-oiled machine that is the army you describe?

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