It’s too bad that the first marine to ever serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen Peter Pace, is being dropped. I believe that there are two, very unworthy, reasons why this competent man will not continue. First, a background point; 4-star (general admiral) positions are always for 2 year terms, and renewal requires approval by the Senate.br /br /The first strike against General Pace is that he recently stated that he feels homosexuality is immoral and an inappropriate activity and that homosexuals should not be permitted to serve in the military. Given the fact that sexual tension in a unit, be it heterosexual or homosexual, will destroy cohesion—the band of brothers unity that maximizes unit performance, there is no question, from a practical perspective, that sexual tension hurts tactical readiness.br /br /This is one reason why infantry, armor, and some other tactical units, to this day, do not have women members. The other major reason is a lack of upper body strength. In a combat situation where everyone’s life depends on the selfless performance of every member of the team, there is no room for thoughts like: ‘Does he like me?’ ‘Will she like me more if I don’t send her to do …’ ‘I think she like him more than me.’ Etc. Neither is there room for non-tactical activity in a foxhole. If one places homosexual males in an all male unit, these same thoughts will be there.br /br /The Marines’ position is most clear; everyone’s secondary job is to fight as an infantryman. Therefore, why should we risk soldiers’ lives for the sake of political correctness? We should not. Drive on General Pace.br /br /The second reason that Pace is being dumped is that the current senate leadership seems almost fanatical on doing anything they can do to make the president look bad. They seem to have no concern about the reputation of our nation in the world or the morale of our troops. Thus, they intended to attack the performance of this distinguished leader. Pace’s “homosexual” statement only adds fuel to this fire. So, to avoid this fight, General Pace is not being renominated.br /br /While the administration’s performance merits a lot of criticism, the senate’s intended lynching is an abomination.br /br /General Pace’s 40 years of service speaks for itself. The self serving rants of the bumblers in the Senate is also clear. Thank you for your service, General Pace.

I am asking you to contact your US Senator and ask for support of S 1283; it is the senate version of the House Bill, HR 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act. Tell your senator that supporting this bill is “The Right Thing To Do.”br /br /S 1283 would provide the assets needed to ensure that wounded soldiers feel secure that they will receive the needed quality care and that the system will not fail them. It also sets the stage for much needed reform of the admin processes that will restore warrior confidence in system. Some key provisions include:br /-Improvements to medical and dental care for members of the Armed Forces assigned to hospitals in an outpatient status.br /-Establishment of a toll-free hotline for reporting deficiencies in medical-related support facilities and expedited response to reports of deficiencies.br /-Independent medical advocate for members before Medical Evaluation Boards.br /-Training and workload for Physical Evaluation Board liaison officers.br /-Standardized training program for the DoD Disability Evaluation System.br /-Criteria for removal of member from Temporary Disability Retired List.br /-Improved transition of members of the Armed Forces to the Dept of Vets Affairs upon retirement or separation. This is particularly important to those being separated or retired under title 10 US Code, Chapter 61, for medical disability with less than 20 years service.br /-Establishment of Medical Support Fund for support of members of the Armed Forces returning to military service or civilian life.br /-Evaluation and report ofn DoD and DVA disability evaluation systems. It is already established that, on average, the DoD rates approximately 20% lower than the DVA, notwithstanding they both follow the same ratings schedule.