Last week the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III made a statement on the 12th Anniversary of ‘Dont Ask Don’t Tell’ which may seem like just history to most of us, but it is still a very painful subject for so many servicemen and veterans.
The Secretary said “Over the past decade, we’ve tried to make it easier for Service members discharged based on their sexual orientation to obtain corrective relief. While this process can be difficult to navigate, we are working to make it more accessible and efficient. In the coming weeks, we will be initiating new outreach campaigns to encourage all Service members and Veterans who believe they have suffered an error or injustice to seek correction to their military records.”
This news was sadly a long time coming and too late for some veterans and service members, but it’s a step in the right direction and will help reinstate much-deserved benefits and accolades for those who risked their lives for their country.
You can read Austin’s full statement here. The Department of Defense is also encouraging those who were unfairly discharged by the military’s former anti-LGBTQ+ policies to apply for a record correction through the Military Departments’ Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records.
Labels: 12th Anniversary, 2023, DADT, more help, Secretary of Defense
