Congressman Alcee Hastings continues his efforts to protect gay servicemembers this time speaking up on behalf of Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, an 18-year airman who has served overseas tours in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, faces a discharge from the service after a review board found he had violated the Defense Department's ban on homosexuals serving openly in the ranks. The F-15 pilot said he was grounded last spring, just weeks before his unit deployed to Iraq, when a civilian acquaintance told his commanders that Fehrenbach might be gay. Fehrenbach said he doesn't know why he was outed -- for almost two decades, he had kept his sexual orientation a secret from military officials -- but the tip began a year-long review which culminated in a recommendation for discharge.
On August 4th, Congressman Hasting sent a letter to the Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley saying in part that he was “deeply troubled,” by DADT."Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not only an injustice to Lt. Col. Fehrenback, but a disservice to the U.S. military and our country as a whole," Hasting wrote. "While Secretary Gates and the Pentagon's general counsel continue their of Don't Ask, Don't Tell to identify possible provisional measures, you can take action right now to disarm the policy by keeping Lt. Col. Frebach in the Air Force."
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