The country knows much more today about post traumatic stress disorder than it did not that long ago, and Americans have much more consideration of differing sexual orientation.
The military, which often underappreciated PTSD’s debilitating effects, and which drew a hard and fast line against orientations other than heterosexuality, forced thousands out of the service with less-than-honorable discharges.
Soldiers and sailors who had experienced combat conditions might not have been able to fully function during the remainder of their enlistment or their planned military career. Aberrant behavior, without counseling or treatment, could have led to an early discharge which harmed their standing in the community and severely limited opportunities in the job market. For most employers, military service grants a job applicant extra consideration because of the experiences and responsibilities it reflects, while a dishonorable discharge abruptly ends any possibility of a job.
Vietnam War veterans with dishonorable discharges under those conditions have likely worked through employment challenges as best they could; American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1973.
But it should be a national undertaking to make an effort to remove a label that was placed with their name for the traumatic effects that came with taking a role that their country required.
For veterans of the most recent wars in the Middle East, employment hurdles that come with having a dishonorable discharge very much exist.
In recent years, the armed forces have made a commitment to accept gays and lesbians who bring the same potential, skills and desire to serve as others. The brief “don’t ask, don’t tell,” proved thoughtless, unrealistic, and not a solution to their inclusion.
It is currently estimated that some 14,000 men and women were forced from the military because of their sexual orientation.
The military should make it a priority to review those with dishonorable discharges to determine whether the symptoms of PTSD were factors and to eliminate the dishonorable discharge given for sexual orientation. The latter review and change will be far more straightforward and quicker to accomplish than the former.
Military leadership is now well aware of the value that all Americans can contribute to the country’s defense.
At the same time, this country’s leadership must remember the many examples of the severe and lingering effects that can plague those who have been exposed to a battlefield environment.
Correcting the mislabeling that has occurred is part of that effort.
