Another DADT horror story - the financial witch hunts continue

[Bluebear]

This is getting ridiculous. The Obama administration needs to put a stop to this now. Via TowleRoad we learn about former Petty Officer 2nd Class and Hebrew linguist Jason Knight:

The military has a long tradition of recouping money from service members who are discharged under the law known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell. If discharging GI Jane or Joe because they happen to be different, telling them they need to repay the government because they are different is insult to injury, as well as reinforcing negative stereotypes. From tuition of ROTC students, military sign-on bonuses to unfulfilled contracts, the military is getting their money's worth for employing lesbian, gay and bisexual service members.

In 2005 I was discharged from the military for the first time because I annulled my marriage after discovering my sexual orientation. Regardless of misplacing the DADT discharge paperwork, recalling me back to service and serving a year in Kuwait and continues communications with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to rectify the situation, I am still forced to repay my $13,000 sign-on bonus I received in 2001. After zeroing my account when I was discharged in 2005, I refused to pay this grievous loop-hole the government circumvents to continue to persecute LGBT veterans. So for the last six years, all of my tax returns have gone toward repay this "debt" including my 2010 tax return of $1959 that included a $1000 tax credit for being a full-time student.

So Dan Choi, be prepared to receive a letter in the mail that your tax return has been recouped to pay the debt the government has so willingly given you for being a gay man.

They're garnishing his tax refunds. We are two years into the Obama administration. Why won't they fix this? It's not required by law, it's not required under DADT. This is a choice. And for some reason the White House refuses to tell DOD to stop harassing gay service members. These are the kind of things that should have been fixed on day one of the new administration. These are the kinds of things that the White House can fix administratively. They don't need congress. So fix it.

http://gay.americablog.com/2011/02/another-dadt-horror-story-financial.html

[SidDithers]

1. Yes. It is getting ridiculous...nt

Sid

[Bluebear]

2. sorry 'ignored', cant see ya :)

I'm sure I know the gist.

[The Doctor.]

3. They're in agreement. As am I.

This is outright unfair. They'll take your service and risk to your life, and then turn around and make you pay them back for something that didn't have a damn thing to do with your service.

The practice has to end before more people are screwed.

[struggle4progress]

4. That's a strange story

Gay Sailor Discharged, Then Called Back to Serve in Kuwait
Gen. Pace's Comments Caused Officer to Write Letter to 'Stars and Stripes'
May 13, 2007

A gay sailor who was honorably discharged in 2005 when he came out to superiors was mistakenly recalled back into service and shipped to Kuwait where he served 10 months ...

Knight revealed his sexuality a second time while he was in Kuwait when Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called homosexual acts immoral and contrary to military values. He wrote a letter to the military paper "Stars and Stripes" because he disagreed with his comments ...

When the story came out, Knight was discharged again.

"He was discharged because he violated Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. In going public with it, he gave us with no choice. It's still an honorable discharge but this is what the law says and it's not compatible with military service," Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a Navy spokesman, said ...

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/story?id=3169532



Openly Gay Seaman Recalled to Navy
FederalDaily - May 9, 2007

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Knight said that even though naval officials knew he was gay, he was allowed to be recalled and has served as an openly gay servicemember for a year in a Kuwait customs battalion. Knight, 23, was discharged in April 2005 after informing the Navy he was gay, and was forced to repay a $13,000 military signing bonus, he said. Then nine months later, Knight said he received an email from the Navy offering him a position with Naval Customs Battalion Bravo in Kuwait. He served, and is due to be discharged again in June, he said. During his second tour of duty, Knight said he hasn’t made any effort to hide his sexual orientation ...

http://www.federaldaily.com/federaldaily/archive/2007/05/FD050907.htm



Navy disputes gay sailor’s claim of discharge, recall
Official says petty officer will be separated under ‘don’t ask’
By Joseph Giordono
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 12, 2007

The Navy is disputing parts of a sailor’s claim that he was called back to active duty after being discharged a year earlier under the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Late Friday, the Navy confirmed that it is again separating Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Knight, this time with a DD-214 reflecting separation due to admissions of homosexual conduct.

In a story first reported by Stars and Stripes on May 6, Knight said he was drummed out of the Navy in 2005 after outing himself to superiors. Knight said an extension he signed had been canceled, a $13,000 signing bonus recouped and that his service was terminated at the end of his original four-year contract, despite his desire to stay in the Navy.

But, Davis said Thursday, “there is absolutely nothing in his service record or on his discharge papers that would indicate he was separated for violating the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. Nor was there anything in his record that would preclude him from re-entering the military.” ...

http://www.stripes.com/news/navy-disputes-gay-sailor-s-claim-of-discharge-recall-1.63904

Davis' version seems to be that he informed the military he was gay (2004), was discharged (2005), had to repay (some? all?) of his signing bonus, was recalled (2006), served a while, then again made clear he was gay, and was discharged a second time (2007). The Navy has disputed some of this. The matter dates back some years now; Davis eventually filed suit for reinstatement in December.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Three Discharged Servicemembers File Federal Lawsuit to be Re-Instated
By Karen Ocamb -
http://wglb-tv.blogspot.com/2010/12/three-discharged-servicemembers-file.html