22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
self-inflicted wounds, March 12, 2009
This review is from: Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America (Hardcover)
As someone who was involved in the 1993 battle over gays in the military, albeit in a minor way, and who was in the military, I was curious how the story would read, now, 15 years on. This book rings true. Mr. Frank tells the story of how the U.S. got to that point, how Congress skewed its hearings on the issue, and how Bill Clinton ultimately, under duress, signed on to Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
He doesn't neglect the corollary issues: the mindset of both sides, the experience of gays in the military prior to 1993, and the experience of other militaries who lifted the ban. He helpfully lists the evidence for and against the ban, so far. (He may be one of the few to have actually _read_ the 1993 RAND study on the issue). And, he shows the anti-gay policy's contribution to pervasive male-on-female sexual harassment in the military.
He follows DADT in subsequent years, and it's a complicated story: I knew how "Don't Ask" became "Search and Destroy" in some commands, but hadn't heard, till now, of how many gay soldiers stayed on and continued serving well.
Mr. Frank could have, I suppose, made more of the impact this had on Bill Clinton's ability to act as Commander in Chief. This spat may have had something to do with his weak initial response to the Balkan wars from 1993 on. Certainly, the RAND study said that the gay ban would have fallen if the military thought Bill Clinton meant it. But, this a minor quibble.
Indeed, Mr. Frank does show how, with the military wearing out its active and Reserve forces with second, third, and fourth tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He not only shows how personnel needs got so dire that the military was recruiting poor-quality, even ex-felon, soldiers, but shows the mayhem that would cause. (He does allude to the shortage being a factor in hiring the "contractors," Blackwater et al). All this while the military got rid of thousands of personnel under DADT, including Arabic-language specialists who might've been useful after 9/11.
This is the definitive study, and brings us up to early 2009, and the start of a new administration. Whether anybody in the White House or Congress reads it is another matter. Whatever their position on the issue, they should indeed read this, and ponder.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and smart, March 11, 2009
This review is from: Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America (Hardcover)
He lays out the case for repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell in a very compelling way. Some of the "reasons" that the military has used in the past to justify discrimination have to be read to be believed. And the behind the scenes political maneuvering that went on is fascinating. It's a great read.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authoritative in its argument, March 10, 2009
This review is from: Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America (Hardcover)
Nathaniel Frank has written THE book on this issue. No one can read it and still think the gay ban in the military is anything but foolish - and counterproductive. One need not be gay to see the wisdom in this definitive history and expose.
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