“One, the people in the military enlisted or were commissioned with the idea that DADT [Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell] would allow them to serve honorably among THEIR PEERS!”

It is unclear to me how ending DADT changes the idea that military personnel would be serving any less honorably. The emphasis on “THEIR PEERS” is also strange. Gays already serve, not opening, but thus are serving as part of the peer group. If the point is that gays are not in the peer group of the non-gay service personnel, is the only determining factor of peer group sexual orientation? Or should others, women, Catholics, Democrats, etc. be prohibited from serving as they may not be peers of some artificially conceived peer group?

“Two, having been on active duty, having open gays serve would allow the most disease-ridden group (HIV/STDs/Hep A/B/C) to interact with the most healthiest group in America.”

To enlist you must be free of contagious diseases that would likely endanger the health of other personnel.

A person, gay or straight, who tests positively for AIDS, HIV, and many other conditions (e.g. TB) is not permitted to enlist. If military personnel contract diseases such as HIV, they are allowed to serve out their enlistment, but are not allowed to re-enlist.

“What are you gonna do when a gay comes in clean and goes out with AIDS? Give him hundreds of thousands of dollars in free medical followed by 500,000 in insurance money?”

To my knowledge, not one has raised this issue with heterosexual people who come in “clean” and go out with an STD. Why is it different for gays and AIDS? What about a women who gets pregnant while in the military?

“Who is going to want to treat a battlefield would, sans gloves, when a [gay] gets wounded? Why risk getting AIDS?”

Battlefield conditions are the most horrible anyone faces, and supplies of all kinds can and usually run out. However, EMS personnel must deal with a somewhat similar issue. While far from a perfect analogy, it is insightful as to how the DOD might address the issue. Certainly, this is not an insurmountable situation, especially for the greatest military in the world.

If you were under attack and in danger of being overrun, would you care if those next to you helping to defend your position and save your life were gay or just U.S. military?

There has yet be to a significant reason presented to not allow gays to opening serve in the military. Implementation of this policy will require thought, but the time has long past for it to be done.