Navy Re-Enlists Discharged Gay Sailor

When Petty Officer Jason Knight told the Navy he was gay almost three years ago, he was quickly discharged from the service under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. But now Knight is back on active duty.

Jason Knight told The Stars & Stripes, a paper published for the U.S. military, that he finally accepted the truth about his sexuality on his wedding night in July 2004. He apologized to the woman he'd married, and moved to get his marriage annulled.

He decided to be honest when explaining his changing circumstances to the Navy and was quickly discharged.

But now — whether through a clerical oversight or what some claim is an unwritten change in policy to keep more gay servicemembers in the ranks at a time of war — Jason Knight is back on active duty.

Knight is currently finishing a scheduled one-year tour in Kuwait with Naval Customs Battalion Bravo and no longer hides his sexual orientation.

When Knight received his recall orders, he thought it was a joke at first. "It was the ultimate kick in the ass. But then I thought, there isn't much they can do to me they haven't done the first time," he said.

When Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called homosexual acts immoral and contrary to military values, Knight decided to come out publicly a second time.

"Though I respect [Pace] as a leader, it made me so mad," Knight said.

"I spent four years in the Navy, buried fallen servicemembers as part of the Ceremonial Guard, served as a Hebrew Linguist in Navy Intelligence, and received awards for exemplary service," he wrote in a letter to Stripes. "However, because I was gay, the Navy discharged me and recouped my 13k sign-on bonus. Nine months later, the Navy recalled me to active duty. Did I accept despite everything that happened? Of course I did, and I would do it again. Because I love the Navy and I love my country. And despite Pace's opinion, my shipmates support me."

"He's better than the average sailor at his job," leading Petty Officer, and Knight's direct supervisor, Bill Driver said. "It's not at all a strange situation. As open as he is now, it was under wraps for quite a while. It wasn't an issue at work."

Servicemen's Legal Defense Network (SLDN) says Knight's case displays a hypocrisy on the part of the armed forces and further reveals the armed forces policy to be discriminatory and unnecessary. SLDN director Sharra Greer, "Petty Officer Knight's story shatters the myth that openly gay troops undermine unit cohesion or morale. The Pentagon knows full well that lesbians and gays are good service members. If military leaders believe otherwise, then they need to explain why gay troops are being called back to active duty and sent to the frontlines. SLDN applauds the Navy for recognizing Knight's talent and qualification. Now the time has come to allow every gay service member to serve openly, and to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"

Sources said Navy personnel officials won't preclude a second discharge for Knight but that it was more likely the Navy would rather allow his short-term active-duty recall to expire.

Knight's current orders call for him to be on active duty until June 2007 but he says he is looking for ways to return to active duty full time, perhaps through the officers candidate school.