Ellington

Leaders from the University of Washington’s Army ROTC program, which has gained popularity in recent years, said they expect little change to their programs due to the implementation of the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) that passed last month.

“Nothing changes for us,” said Maj. Stephen Frank, associate professor of military science. “Army core values are fair and equal treatment for everyone. … It doesn’t affect how we do business.”

After much heated debate, Congress agreed to repeal the DADT policy in late December. President Barack Obama cemented the decision four days later, signing the bill into law on Dec. 22.

For Obama, who promised the repeal of DADT during the 2008 presidential election, this comes as a major political victory. Since the establishment of the policy in 1993, gay and lesbian soldiers have been unable to serve openly in the U.S. military, resulting in the overall discharge of about 13,000 people, according to The Washington Post.

Frank not only expects little to change, he also said that with the repeal of DADT, he hopes more people might see the program in a “better light.” Members of the gay and lesbian community at the UW too are optimistic about the change, such as Emily Juhre, a member of the campus GLBTC advocacy group, SOLE.

“I think it’s going to present more of an opportunity for people who would otherwise not have an interest in the military,” Juhre said of the repeal.

The UW’s Army ROTC won’t be alone: the UW’s Naval ROTC and Air Force ROTC, too, will have to comply with the former law’s repeal.

U.S. Army Maj. and associate professor of military science Brett Rubio said the UW’s Army ROTC program has done its best to foster a community of openness and diversity.

“We are all-inclusive; we want a variety of viewpoints in our classroom,” Rubio said. “We want people from all walks of life and foster a welcoming environment in our classes.”

The Army ROTC program, established at the UW in 1916, has gained popularity during recent years, with approximately 50 students currently in the program. Many students also take the ROTC introductory course, Military Science and Leadership Development, as an elective.

In autumn of 2005, 22 students were enrolled in the class. This past fall, 106 students were signed up for the class. Out of this number, approximately 13 students were actually contracted at the time, meaning that they are part of the ROTC program. Frank encourages interested students to give the ROTC a chance, and is always open to a dialogue with anyone interested to determine if the program would be a good fit.

The UW ROTC program is one of 489 programs in the nation. Although it is too soon to tell the full effects of this decision, many remain hopeful that it will encourage the expansion and reimplementation of ROTC programs at colleges around the nation.

ROTC programs on campus allow students to train for future careers with the U.S. military while completing their college educations. To encourage this, the organization Advocates for ROTC promotes the re-establishment of the military program at colleges that once had it.

DADT was one of the major factors that influenced schools, such as Harvard, Columbia and Yale, to remove ROTC programs from their campuses due to what they considered to be discriminatory practices.

There is still a long way to go before the repeal of the policy will take full effect, as the Obama administration wants to ensure that the new policy will not have a negative effect on the military, with the aid of a recent Pentagon study concerning gays in the military. In addition, the Pentagon has created an 87-page implementation plan for the repeal of DADT, which may take months to fully enact. The repeal will be officially implemented 60 days after the Obama administration decides that the military is prepared for the policy change.

Frank welcomes anyone who is interested in possibly pursuing a career in the army.

“We find out if [the ROTC] is a good fit,” he said, “and if it works out, we make them second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.”

Reach Co-Copy Chief Suzanna Parikh at news@dailyuw.com.