Let's Get Sensitive, Soldiers!

With the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the Pentagon is instituting gay sensitivity training for U.S. combat troops all the way forward to the battlefield itself.

According to the story:

President Obama signed a bill in December to repeal the ban, called “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which required gay troops to hide their sexuality. However, the ban will stay in effect until the secretary of defense certifies that repeal of the policy will not hurt combat readiness.

Actually, it would probably be more accurate to say that the old DADT policy required gay troops not to flaunt their sexuality and commanders not to pursue the subject.

But the idea of even an hour of sensitivity training leaves much to be desired. All that needs to be said on the subject can be found at the end of the article:

“Professionalism is the expectation across all the services,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Steven Hummer, the team’s chief of staff, told the Pentagon‘s news service

“This is a disciplined force, and we expect to see that as the training and repeal go into place. Lastly, respect is what everybody expects to receive and what everybody should give.”

All the "training" that is needed is the command to "respect" each other and do your jobs. That means, bevavior or actions intended to embarrass or take the dignity of a fellow soldier for whatever reason, will be confronted as inappropriate and properly dealt with.

But be assured that the sensitivity training professionals and community would not sit still for that.