In the sixties there was a controversy raging through the armed services about women in the military, and it had been going on for over twenty years. Most arms of the military thought that creating separate axillaries for women would solve the problem. It didn't, because inequities still existed.
Movies and television, sometimes called the Theater of Life, have depicted women in the military in various ways that illustrated what was really happening or what was about to happen. It started with women being only nurses and secretaries; then pilots and training personnel; to being in command of men (but usually not being given proper respect); to the most recent depictions in Aliens and Robert Heinlein's Starship Troupers where men and women fight, work and even shower right along beside of each other. An interesting point is that Heinlein wrote the book from which the movie was made back in the 50's.
This shows that even that far back people were thinking of a military where the only things that matter is honor, valor, loyalty and whether or not individuals can "cut the muster". This would be a military where nothing else matters, not background, not heritage, not race and not sex, nor even sexual orientation.
I have an Uncle who surprised me one day when the subject of Gays in the Military came up in conversation. He served in the Infantry in World War II, was decorated for bravery and injured in the line of duty. When the subject came up, he made a rude noise and said, "I don't understand why there's all this fuss over gays serving in the military, they've always had gays serving. I fought along side of men I knew were gay and I didn't think twice about putting my life in their hands. They were actually more dependable and brave than most of the straight men I served with." He said that he didn't even think of having sex under battle conditions, nor did they.
You see, when you have a group of men living, sleeping , training, fighting and dying together, secrets are hard to keep. So most of the straights in my uncle's company knew who was gay among them, but refused to report them to their superiors because they knew what would happen, besides, they were a team.
If this could happen half a century ago, why can't the macho military minds of today see that the problems are only in their own minds. In my opinion they need to face and conquer their own demons before facing an enemy in combat. You would think that the military leaders would have learned something from their experiences with integrating women into their ranks about the inevitability of change. But I guess that is why "military intelligence" is considered an oxymoron.
If you want a glimpse of the road ahead for the controversy over Gays in the Military just look to the struggle of Women in the Military for some valuable hints. The road will not be short or easy, but it is a road worth traveling. Because in the end we will have an efficient, highly trained and cohesive military, composed of the very best men and women; gay and straight, of all colors, backgrounds and heritages. It will be a military ready and able to defend our borders at a moment's notice, which is the only valid reason for maintaining a military force.