Blogging, 10th Mountain Division Style...

There are few jobs where your boss actually invites you to post on his blog, but I do, in fact have such a job. That's because the commander of the 10th Mountain Division runs a great blog at TaskForceMountain.com, and requests that Soldiers "sound off" on a variety of different issues, from preventing drinking and driving, to offering better opportunities for single Soldiers, or finding ways to boost morale.

Today, he let the floodgates open. He asked our opinions about the proposed repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The thread is getting interesting. There appears to be a 50/50 split based on anecdotal evidence in the thread. What appears to trouble some Soldiers is that they apparently have issues showering or using the bathroom with gay Soldiers, demanding that there be a--and I'm not making this up--separate bathroom and shower facility for gay people.

(Admin note: unlike most message boards, the most recent replies are at the top and the old ones are at the bottom)

I've been somewhat quiet on this issue, but I'll say that I really don't mind gay people in the military. In fact, I'm in favor of it for two big reasons:

1.) Gay couples don't run the risk of pregnancy like straight couples do. This is a huge plus, trust me.

2.) The list of countries which allow gays in the military includes Australia, Israel, and most of NATO, including Canada and Britain. The list of countries that don't permit gays in the military includes countries like Cuba, China, Russia, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, North Korea and Serbia. You know which countries I like better? I thought so.

Some of the concerns are actually quite interesting, primarily revolving around the benefits conferred upon married couples which may or may not apply to a gay couple, depending whether or not their state recognizes gay marriage. I also wonder if two dudes can simply move out of the barracks and start getting paid more just by claiming that they're gay. Granted, I doubt many guys would actually take that route, but it's an interesting "what if".

Anyway, the thread's well worth reading to get the opinions of Soldiers in the field. The opinons are as diverse as the Army is...