For the first time, an argument for repealing Don't
Ask Don't Tell has appeared in an official Pentagon publication. Active
Air Force Col. Om Prakash's award-winning essay in the Joint Force
Quarterly systematically makes the case that the ban on openly gay
soldiers actually harms, not helps, military morale and cohesion.

"I
couldn't be a part of the group for fear someone would find out. I
stayed away from social gatherings, and it certainly affected my
ability to do my job," said one gay soldier.