What's Wrong with the U. S. Marine Corps?

Apparently the new Marine Corps slogan should be "The Few, The Proud, The Bigoted" given that military branch's hang ups over gays in the military. Is the problem a question of leadership or some kind of macho psychosis that can't deal with the fact that gays can be as tough and manly as any straight guy? Living in this heavily military area, I've seen my share of gay Marines and none of them fit the effeminate male stereotype that our detractors like to project on gays as a class. Tammy S. Schultz, director of national security and joint warfare at the U.S. Marine Corps War College, has an op-ed in the Washington Post that challenges the Marine Corps leadership on its tolerance - if not nurturing - of homophobia. As I have said before, the Liar-in-Chief nominated a known homophobe as the new Commandant of the Corps, so responsibility for this phenomenon flows directly to the White House. Here are highlights from the op-ed:
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But there's one part of the military where resistance [to DADT repeal] is greater than in any other: the United States Marine Corps.
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That is clear from early reports about a survey sent to 400,000 active duty and reserve service members on "don't ask, don't tell" that will be officially released next month. More than 70 percent of respondents, spanning all branches of the military, said the effect of repealing the prohibition on openly gay troops would be positive, mixed or nonexistent. But about 40 percent of the Marine Corps respondents expressed concern about lifting the ban.
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What is it about the Marines? Compared with the other services, why do a disproportionate number of them overtly resist ending "don't ask, don't tell"?
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In the Corps, the creed that "every Marine is a rifleman" means that no matter the Marine's specialty, he or she is ready to fight. Marines do battle where the stakes are high and the quarters close. Although they have individual specialties, they all have infantry in their blood. As a rule, ground pounders are more conservative, resistant to change and likely to uphold tradition. This equates to a fear of the unknown - in this case, serving in combat with an openly gay Marine.
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[F]or some . . . the notion of a gay Marine seems almost impossible, as though this most masculine and punishing service simply isn't for gay people. You don't need to spend time with Marines, as I have, to realize how important the warrior ethos is to them.
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In the Marines, anything that seems to contradict or challenge that warrior culture is treated like a foreign particle entering a body's immune system - it is rejected. This visceral reaction will not change if we dismiss those who value these traditions.
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I have researched the implications of repealing the law, willing to land wherever the facts led me. The argument that we can't repeal the policy because it would impair troops on the ground from carrying out their missions is specious; the opposition to the policy on practical or logistical grounds is surmountable.
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The values of honor, courage and commitment are inseparable from the Marines. By definition, gay and lesbian Marines break one or more of these core tenets every time they have to hide or lie about who they are. Eventually, gay Marines must out themselves by upholdingCorps values, or continue compromising the very values that make them Marines.
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The examples from other countries where homosexuals are allowed to serve suggest that many will go about their lives as normal, but without the fear of being discharged if discovered. The key to reconciling Marine culture with the open service of gay men and women will not be found among the rank and file or even among closeted service members; it must come from Corps leaders. Most research on how to integrate minority groups into the military has a common thread: the utmost importance of leadership to the process.
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How the change affects the Marines is up to the leadership. A Marine officer once told me that, besides all Marines being riflemen and riflewomen, what sets them apart is discipline: "If the law changes," he said, "we will comply with the law. You can take that to the bank." I believe he's right.
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The Corps' motto, "semper fidelis," means "always faithful." There is no qualifier for sexual orientation. Once a Marine, always a Marine.
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Again I ask, WTF was Obama doing when he deliberately appointed a homophobe to head up the Corps?