The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) announced today that U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Anthony Loverde, who was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in 2008, has been reinstated and will return to active duty in May.
Loverde is only the second service member welcomed back to the Armed Forces after the September 2011 repeal of DADT. (Petty Officer Jase Daniels, another SLDN client, was previously reinstated as a linguist in the U.S. Navy.)
Loverde, 31, joined the Air Force at age 20. Before being discharged, he was an expert at calibrating weapons systems and oversaw cargo loads for more than 60 flights into Iraq. “I am honored and humbled to return to the service of my country and the job I love,” Loverde said. “I am grateful to my legal team and all of those in the armed forces who helped to facilitate this reinstatement. I am eager to take the oath and get to work.”
Photo via SLDN
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EdWoody
Well, I still don’t understand why anyone would want to do that job. But if that’s what he wants to do, he should have the freedom to do it. Good for him.
iDavid
Awesome! You go man!
arlo
bfd
Michael Bedwell
GENTLE CORRECTION: Loverde is NOT “only the second service member welcomed back” but the second [known] to return to “active duty.” Lee Reinhart preceded both men by enlisting in the Navy Reserve last October after having been kicked out of the Coast Guard in 2002. I believe there have been others who have joined various reserves, too.
Congratulations to all of them, but here’s the rub. First, this is only a small handful down and THOUSANDS to go who might want to rejoin. Second, that Loverde and Daniels had to SUE is an OUTRAGE! The Administration should have a committee with offices in the Pentagon working five days a week to reinstate anyone still interested, and otherwise eligible in terms of age, etc. I’m SURE they could get qualified volunteers to work that office without compensation. Third, while it’s great that gays can now serve “openly,” too few still understand that they are not treated equally as nongay troops in terms of protections against harassment and discrimination, and partner benefits NOT banned by DOMA. SLDN has been begging Commander-in-Chief Obama to fix this for nearly a year but he still refuses. Fourth, WHERE is the apology from Mr. Obama for the some EIGHT HUNDRED needlessly discharged on HIS watch including DAN CHOI? Or are his minions too busy still hounding Choi and others to repay “unearned” monies—and STILL fighting against the ACLU class action suit to force the Pentagon to pay over 100 discharged gays the remaining 50% of separation pay they were legally eligible for but ARBITRARILY denied simply because the were gay [collectively it comes to over $2 million]. Thank you.