Leading the Marine Corps Past Don't Ask Don't Tell

Richard Cohen has a column in the Washington Post that looks at the unfitness of new Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, for his position. Indeed, I suspect that given his druthers, Amos would likewise support a segregated military where blacks would be treated not much better than gays under DADT. Of course the larger question is WTF was Obama doing when he tapped Amos knowing full well that Amos is against the repeal of DADT - a repeal that the Liar-in-Chief claims to support even though his actions suggest the exact opposite. The fact that Obama tapped Amos is on a par with his selection of Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation and demonstrates that actions speak louder than words. Someone needs to get the word to Amos that, if DADT falls either by legislative action or court invalidation, he needs to get his ass on board or tender his resignation. Perhaps a career as a Bible beating preacher would be a more appropriate career choice. Here are highlights from Cohen's column:
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The Marines need one good man. That would be a commandant who sees his job as implementing the end of "don't ask, don't tell" and integrating openly homosexual men and women into the Corps. As it is, the current commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, has indicated that he is not up to the job. He can't distinguish between a gay man and a sexual predator. In the general's telling, the coming end of this discriminatory policy could produce sexual havoc in our nation's barracks and battlefields.
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What if a Marine in front of, say, the U.S. Embassy in Paris was gay? I shudder. London? I shudder some more. This shuddering is not shared by most enlisted men and women. To them, the all-but-certain end of the policy - either the courts will find it unconstitutional (the Supreme Court ruling Friday was far from the last word on this) or Congress will "man up" on this issue - does not fill them with dread.
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Given the law of averages, I was undoubtedly in the Army with gay men. We shared the same barracks and slept, on the occasions when I could not avoid it, on the ground. We showered together and used the lavatory together - the Army is just wonderful at stripping away all dignity - and I never knew of an incident.
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[T]he military is the military, and leaders are expected to lead. If gays are integrated into the services, there will surely be incidents - this is human nature - but they can be handled. Enforcing discipline is what officers do. . . . If and when the policy is changed, President Obama ought to see to it that Amos is not tasked with implementing it. At the very top, the Marines need one good man.