Customer Reviews

Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America

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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.

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.

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.

But it wasn't until after reading it I realized just how insane it really is. It's not a good idea the execution of which was flawed (as some thought).

It was a wrong, bad idea, which could never have worked. And the cost of trying to make it work has been high upon our military, whose service to our nation we should be trying to make easier, not impeding.

This book has the human stories, but it also has the numbers, combined together to reach an irrefutable conclusion:

The gay ban needs to be lifted, and lifted now.

This book begins with a fascinating historical overview about gays in the military and how the military's stance toward gays took shape over the years, up to and including the current "don't ask don't tell" policy. This alone made the book well worth reading. But the author is by no means finished at that point. He goes on to completely and methodically dismantle every single rationale used to continue the current policy of discrimination. Along the way he tells numerous personal stories about the experiences of actual soldiers. It is a fascinating enlightening book that everyone should read.

First my own identity: straight retired Army officer, opposed to DADT from the beginning.

Dr. Frank has written a truly admirable work - complete, compelling, and convincing. It should be mandatory reading for military and Congressional leaders. DADT will be repealed only when our leaders come to understand its history and its results, and dispel the pervasive myths surrounding gay military service. This book is the tool they need.

Pace Dr. Frank, though, not all proponents of DADT are bigots. I think most simply subscribe to the "conventional wisdom" of the past and wrongly see repeal -- especially in wartime -- as a risky and imprudent leap into the unknown. It is those decisionmakers and influencers who, above all, need to read and internalize the message of this fine book.

Repealing the DADT law and other barriers will not be easy. I believe President Obama will address these issues in due time, but I applaud and encourage his caution. DADT became Federal law, instead of mere policy, because the Clinton administration underestimated the difficulty and made the classic rookie bridge mistake of failing to clear trumps. Nor can we simply ignore the religious right, well represented in today's armed forces. Our country can ill afford to lose this battle again through excessive haste.

Very well researched and written book. Really hard to understand this ban when the military is streched so thin!
Highly recommended!

New presidential administrations always offer a chance to lead the nation in a different direction and Nathaniel Frank's terrific new book, "Unfriendly Fire" may just help tip the balance of removing the ridiculous "Don't ask, don't tell" policy set up in 1993. Unwarranted from the beginning, this policy has caused tremendous harm to both gays and straights in the military.

Frank underscores how much the United States has changed in its collective views on homosexuality since the policy went into effect, and this, perhaps more than anything else, will one day very soon overturn it. But the narrative of "Unfriendly Fire" takes us through the entire fifteen-year course...from Sam Nunn's pre-determined Senate hearings and the weak response by the new Clinton administration...to the testimonies at present of the men and women in uniform....straight and gay...regarding their attitudes towards serving with each other and the tight cohesiveness of their units which is tantamount to military success.

Perhaps it really took wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to let in the light about gay service, especially after many thousands of gays were tossed out of the military at a time when their service was desperately needed. Frank really hits home when he describes the loss of translators...without replacements...and what that did to the units who lost those people. As a further point he tells of convicted felons being allowed in to beef up "the numbers".

"Unfriendly Fire" ends on an upbeat note, reflecting the positive change in attitudes of both military and non-military people who look at the gay ban today. Yet I couldn't help but wonder if men and women in uniform might be subject to dismissal just for reading Frank's book. I hope not.

This is an unusually timely and reflective work and I highly recommend it. It should be required reading for every man and woman in the military as I sincerely wish that "Don't ask, don't tell" soon becomes a relic of the past.

for the intellectual and for the pleasure reader who is unaware of the dont ask dont tell policy of the clinton administration. with definitive analysis the reader gets the opportunity to build their own opinion, and decide once and for all if the policy is dicriminatory or not.

This book is written for those who are ignorant of the sad history of US "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" laws and policies. To those who know this history, the book may seem overly long and complex. The extensive detail is necessary. The point is that current legal discrimination against sexual orientation minorities in the armed forces has no more place today than did legal racial discrimination against African-Americans before it was ended by President Truman in 1948. In 2009, President Obama should end baseless, ignorant and hateful laws that allow sexual orientation discrimination. That discrimination in the armed forces is especially poignant given our military's importance to national identity and security. A useful amplification to the book's point is found in a recent Gallup Poll on the web from June 5, 2009 [...]