Gay Sailor Fired Twice, Could Be Called Back

WASHINGTON, DC -- Jason Knight was discharged by the Navy in 2005 under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, but then was called back to active duty last year before he was discharged again when he went public about his story.

In early May, military newspaper Stars and Stripes wrote an article about Knight which resulted in the Navy almost instantly discharging him when learning Knight was open about his sexuality.

The Navy claimed they would bar Knight from re-entering service by discharging him for "homosexual conduct" but now Stars and Stripes can reveal that Knight instead was discharged for "completion of required active service." His recall code is noted as RE-1, with a reserve obligation ending in April 2009.

That means that Knight is being placed in the reserves and could be recalled at any time.

"I can't do anything but laugh," Knight told Stars and Stripes in a telephone interview. "It's getting to the point of being ridiculous," he said.

Navy officials on Wednesday said it appears Knight's discharge papers were issued "before a public admission," but that naval personnel officials were looking into the matter.

Since leaving the Navy in May, Knight has gone to work with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an advocacy group working for the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

Since the policy was adopted in 1993 the Pentagon has discharged nearly 12,000 servicemembers under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Although Knight acknowledges the Navy will likely reissue discharge orders modified to cite homosexual conduct and bar him from returning to service, he would still go back if somehow called to duty.

"Of course I would," he said Wednesday.