The Pentagon will start reviewing the records of military personnel who may be eligible for a discharge upgrade as a result of getting kicked out under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which prevented gay and lesbian troops from serving openly until it was repealed in 2011.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced Wednesday that the Department of Defense will examine the records of veterans discharged between Feb. 28, 1994, and Sept. 20, 2011, who have yet to apply for an upgrade to determine whether they received a less-than-honorable discharge due to their sexual orientation.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was instituted by President Bill Clinton as a compromise that barred military leaders and personnel from discriminating against or harassing gay and lesbian troops. But it also required those troops to keep their sexual orientation private.
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The policy was repealed under President Barack Obama, but not before an estimated 14,000 service members were discharged under it.
“When we find indications that someone’s less-than-honorable discharge was due to their sexual orientation, we’ll put their name forward to their respective military department’s review board for consideration,” Hicks said during a press conference Wednesday, the 12th anniversary of the policy’s appeal.
The Pentagon will also…
