That's lovely.

So, being openly able to hit on straight guys is going to somehow keep him from getting his ass kicked in the future?

Reminds me of "Streamers". Very well written.

@ 2, I don't think he actually hit on anyone. If I'm not mistaken, I think they told another soldier that he did just so he'd get his ass kicked.

Yeah, that part was a little confusing.

Beautiful.

even if the writing confuses you, it still doesn't say that anyone was hit on. the only way to misinterpret it is to think that the Sergeant told someone that he "admired" the homophobe's ass. Telling someone that you are hot for someone else is not hitting on someone.
But he didn't even do that. Some guys made it up and lied about it just to see if they could get a rise out of the asshole.

@2

No, being able to say that Sargent X kicked down his door in a drunken fit of homophobia based on a lie (made believable because he really is gay) is the good that comes of being able to serve openly.

According to how the I, Anon reads, the drunk homophobe got nothing more than a stern talking to. If it had been officially reported, he would have been disciplined, and likely would have learned that kind of behavior is unacceptable. He might keep the thoughts that lead to it, but he'd control his behavior better.

Now, as the events went down, he's learned that even if he has to physically be dragged away from assaulting another officer, a whole barracks full of other officers won't do shit about it.

Why does this need to be anonymous? Own up and everyone will feel better. This would have ten times the weight if it were a signed open letter.

I had no idea that army sergeants could write so well.

@9, good point. Ironic, given this line:

"When integrity matters, you ask and you tell. You tell your brothers who you are."

Submitted to I, Anonymous. What a brave confession. I hope he said all that to that Sergeant's face. Then I'll be impressed.

@2: Imagine what the world would look like if women beat the daylights out of every man who made unwanted advances.

Suck it up, straight men, and learn how to say no.

You know, I didn't realize it at the time, but making sergeant really was what killed my prospects for an Army career more than anything. Being gay meant that I didn't have a partner (hard to find someone willing to traipse around the country behind you from post to post at their own expense). So I was single and living in the barracks.

But being a sergeant set me apart from the junior enlisted men. You can't turn a blind eye towards the 18 year old kid getting drunk any more because you're responsible for him now.

I'd really loved the camaraderie of hanging out with my fellow infantrymen. But after my promotion, I kind of retreated back into myself and became very lonely.

I actually wish I'd been in the same unit as Anonymous. I think, on balance, I would have enjoyed life a lot more. Homophobes, I can deal with. Isolation's another matter altogether.

***

@10 We ain't all high school dropouts, ya know.

Oh and yes, now that DADT has been repealed and the bar to reenlistment taken off my record, if I could, I'd be down at the recruiter's office tomorrow.

I miss the Army and, politics aside, I've felt really terrible about not being able to do my part over the last several years.