From the Yahoo article:
Army to expand recruiting incentives - Yahoo! News

Under a new proposal, men and women who enlist could pick from a "buffet" of incentives, including up to $45,000 tax-free that they accrue during their career to help buy a home or build a business. Other options would include money for college and to pay off student loans.

An Associated Press review of the increasingly aggressive recruiting offerings found the Army is not only dangling more sign-up rewards — it's loosening rules on age and weight limits, education and drug and criminal records.

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Hey, I have an idea.

Instead of recruiting criminals, drug addicts, 42-year-olds, and the obese... and throwing money at them that we borrowed from China and Japan... How about we let gay people serve openly?

Nah, that's just CRAZY talk.

It sure is. Why would you do that? Why would you risk losing some soldiers that you already have just for such a small possible gain. It's not worth it. I got $10k when I joined. Came in very handy when I got out.

"Creating a more pleasant boot camp environment."


LOL.. I thought that was pretty precious.

Forester,

You seem to be laboring under the illusion that gay people would be any more eager to fight Bush's war than straights are.

Oh I am not specifically talking about serving in this war, though I see your point.

I'm talking about military service in general. I'm talking about the huge numbers of gay and lesbians who would love the chance to serve their country, who would join up TOMORROW, if this ridiculously discriminatory DADT thing were repealed.

All other things being equal, they are currently saying that a drug addict makes a better soldier than a gay person. So much for that "compromising military readiness" excuse!

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Edit: Whether gay people are perceived as wanting to serve or not is not an issue here. They should still have the choice open to them to serve, under the same conditions as any other person.

If every person that is gay, already in the military, admitted publicly they were gay, would we discharge them? Our country would be screwed. We'd lose way more soldiers than this other scenario. Don't kid yourself.
Anyone worried that much about other adult's consenting actions are homophobic and doomed to burn in hell for takng God's job as judge. Call it what you want, in the end everyons blood is red and are risking their lives to serve this country while others whine about these Hereo's private lives.
As for the churches who's elders or leaders think its ok for them to judge gays, they're going to hell too(according to the book they hold so literal).

As I have a lifelong hearing disability, I wish I could have served in the military, as my father did, Ty. One day back in the 1970's, I went to a local Army recruiting office in San Diego, and they told me I would be disqualified from serving because of my handicap.

Nevertheless, I still love and respect the military. My older sister, who has base privileges, always salutes them when she enters the bases.

I can totally relate.
I tried to join the Air Force when I was 16 (1976). My Father served in WWII and my Grandfather in WWI. The recruiter asked me if I had a record. I made the mistake of telling him I had an arrest when I was 15(whlch was a sealed case because I was a minor) and I was told to leave the office. At the time I was homeless and had no life whatsoever. I honestly wanted to serve this country but was discriminated against. (See my intro for more on my early life)
The bottom line is I would have served this country with pride and I know I would have excelled in the military.

Hear, hear. I would have, too, Ty.

A lot of hard work.