Bio: My military career lasted just over 20 years. I would have stayed in for much longer if it weren't for the knowledge that, regardless of all the awards and honors given to me, I could be discharged simply for being gay. I spent most of my Coast Guard career in high visibility jobs simply because I am a woman who was in a traditionally "male" job. As the jobs became higher in profile I was no longer willing to compromise who I was for a nation that would not accept me for who I am. I have always wanted to give back for what I was given, this is the forum where I can help make the service better than it was.

Bio: Being in the military really hasn't affected my coming out. It really all depends who you work with and how you present yourself. As long as you do your work and do what you are told and don't tell your business you will be fine. But there are others that have to hide their own feelings because they can't tell how they feel. Everyone is afraid that being gay will have an effect on how you work, but it shouldn't matter what your sexuality preference is, as long as you get the job done. The military isn't for everyone though.

Bio: I regret that I must live two lives in order to serve in the Army under the Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy. I have served for 13 years and have deployed three times.

Bio: My military service was not unique; I had to sneak around in order to have gay friends or date. I served honorably and executed my duties with the utmost integrity and professionalism. The only reason I left the service was that I could no longer continue living a double life. I really miss being in the Navy and wish I could of stayed.

Bio: Thomas Cook joined the United States Army on April 11, 2001. Cook joined the military to change his life and to better himself. He excelled and was quickly promoted. He attained the rank of Specialist (E-4) with an Intelligence specialty, and eventually earned the Army Achievement Medal.

Cook deployed to Kuwait in support of military operations in the Middle East from April through September of 2002. In late 2003, Cook's company received orders to deploy to Iraq. Preparing for that deployment, Cook conducted a field training exercise with two other enlisted soldiers in his company. One of them was a sergeant, and Cook's team leader. On one occasion, the three men saw a man whom they knew to be gay walk by. The sergeant said to Cook that "(i)f I ever found out someone in my crew was gay, I would kill him." The threat worried Cook, because he is gay. Cook knew that he was about to be deployed to Iraq with this sergeant, and was worried about what would happen if the sergeant found out Cook was gay. But Cook did not know of any mechanisms through which he could confidentially and without risk of retaliation report the sergeant's threat.

Cook decided that the best way to protect his own safety was to inform his commander about the sergeant's threat and explain that he was gay. Thus, in December 2003, Cook told his battalion commander he was gay. Cook's battalion commander thought Cook made that statement solely to avoid deployment to Iraq. He recommended that Cook receive a general discharge rather than an honorable discharge - something that would have hurt Cook's ability to get a job in civilian life. With the help of an attorney, Cook fought the battalion commander's recommendation and the Army issued him an honorable discharge, reflective of his honorable service record. Cook was discharged from the Army on January 22, 2004. He served for nearly three years.

Coming Out while in the military is really hard to do because you have to be very selective on who you come out too. Be cause we are the few, the proud, the GAYS. SO take a stand and be proud of who you are because NO ONE can take that from you. We are all beautiful people and diserve to be heard.