Nguyen’s honesty deserves praise

Nguyen’s honesty deserves praise

Cadet’s sexual orientation has no effect on commitment to
military duties

By Erik Jens

I have seen letters and statements from many different groups
concerning Huong Nguyen’s suspension from UCLA’s ROTC due to her
bisexuality. As a fourth-year ROTC cadet, I’d like to add my
opinion to the pile.

I support Nguyen in her bid to remain in UCLA’s ROTC program and
be commissioned as an Army officer. I was a friend of Nguyen and
trained with her last year up until she left the program, and would
have written this letter last May had I known the true reason for
her departure.

Nguyen took seriously the military officer’s commitment to
personal integrity and made her sexual orientation known in keeping
with that commitment – rather than be dishonest about her off-duty
lifestyle. Everyone I have talked to in ROTC respects Nguyen for
her leadership abilities, dedication and military competence, and
would welcome her back if she wins reinstatement to the
program.

I’d like to clarify a couple of issues which my fellow UCLA
students may not realize about ROTC. First of all, we are under the
command of the Department of Defense, a civilian-run organization
which sets all policies concerning gays in the military.

To attack ROTC for the action taken in Nguyen’s case is like
picketing the UCLA biology department and biology students because
the UC Regents, who administer funding to the biology department
and are thus paying to train future biology professors, voted
against affirmative action.

Regardless of any personal feelings, commanding offices of ROTC
programs have no more power to alter the policy than does a UCLA
department to circumvent UC admissions policies. Most people seem
to realize this, but I still see letters to The Bruin which accuse
ROTC specifically of anti-gay bigotry.

In the meantime, ROTC remains one of the most multicultural
groups on campus; we are men and women, Asian Americans, African
Americans, Mexican Americans and Iranian Americans, among many
others. We are preparing to serve as military officers in an army
which, for 50 years, has consistently outpaced the civilian sector
in racial and sexual equal opportunity.

Having said all that, I want to say further that I personally
support not only Nguyen, but all Americans denied the chance to
serve in defense of their country because of their sexual
orientation.

I don’t stand to lose my commission for having a girlfriend or
for being seen with her; there’s no reason gays should have to
actively conceal their social lives to avoid discharge from the
military.

I have known several gay men and women in six years of active
Army duty (and I’m sure I knew many more who didn’t choose to tell
me), and I never noticed that they were any more or less competent
and trustworthy than anyone else.

The rule on sex in the military should be simple: There is no
place for romantic or sexual behavior – of any kind – in the
military when and where it interferes with the military mission
(for example, between a leader and his or her subordinate). The
rest of the time, it’s nobody’s business except the couple
involved.

I agree with Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona, who
said that a soldier has to shoot straight, not be straight.

Good luck, Huong. I’d be honored and fortunate to serve
alongside you in uniform one day.

Jens is a fourth-year English student.Comments to
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