Palm Center Releases First-Ever Statistical Study On Gays and Unit Cohesion
There is big news today on the gays in the military front: the Palm Center commissioned the first-ever statistical study of whether the presence of known gays in a unit has any impact on unit cohesion and the results are in: "The data indicated no associations between knowing a lesbian or gay unit member and ratings of perceived unit cohesion or readiness. Instead, findings pointed to the importance of leadership and instrumental quality in shaping perceptions of unit cohesion and readiness."
And early this morning the study's language showedup in the New York Times when Owen West, a former Marine who served two tours in Iraq, used it, in part, to argue that he and numerous other military personnel had "changed their minds" about gays in the military. They now believe the gay ban should end.
As I argue in my new book Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, the unit cohesion rationale was the whole basis of the public argument for why open gays could not serve. This study puts that argument firmly to rest.
Comments
hello
Thanks, for the good articles...I am very intiresting..
Gays in the military
It seems incongruous that so many of the "experts" on this issue have never spent a single minute of their lives in the military.
I served in Special Forces in Vietnam and I assure you that gays would not have been tolerated on my team. As an officer,I would have them transferred out of my unit.
As for the latest statistical study, it still remains that "figures lie and liars figure". Anyone who has ever studied statistics knows that they can be manipulated to achieve the desired outcome.
Thank you for your comment
Thank you for your comment Tracy, it's true that there can be gaps between how people respond to polling and how they would articulate their views themselves. But there is certainly enough polling data from geographically diverse regions to indicate that a growing body of military personnel are fine with open gay service. Nonetheless, studies about military readiness and cohesion consistently show that, as you suggest, service members are professionals capable of following orders and that more important that their personal connections are their shared sense of the import of their duties.
I just finished reading the
I just finished reading the first nine pages of the Palm Center "Gay" study. I must comment on your statement: "The data indicated no associations between knowing a lesbian or gay unit member and ratings of perceived unit cohesion or readiness. Instead, findings pointed to the importance of leadership and instrumental quality in shaping perceptions of unit cohesion and readiness."
While the study may have shown a perceived indication that Service Members are OK with having openly homosexual individuals serving along side them, I can assure you that this is UNTRUE. Ask each individual face to face, especially the 18-22 year old Combat Arms Soldiers and the majority will tell you that they would choose to NOT serve with an openly gay individual.
All Service Members are required to follow orders and instructions of their superior officers and NCO's. The morale of our American Warfighters would be severely impacted if they were told to "suck it up and drive on....you WILL serve with that gay/lesbian". The retention rate's and enlistment rates would bottom out. Very few would choose to stay and serve....if at all.
Personally, I think it is morally wrong to engage in Homosexual Conduct and those that participate in the act should be punished by law. To even entertain the thought of allowing openly gay individuals to serve in our beloved armed forces makes me sick to my stomach. I would rather be short handed and work extra hours than know I have a homosexual beside me in the bunker or manning the Browning .50 Cal Machine Gun next to me.....
PS: I noticed you are from California. Things are a little different in that Liberal part of the world
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