Gonna share a story now, that I am not sure I have before. If I have, please let me know. It is completely pertinent to this topic.
SO I was stationed in Ansbach, Germany on a little post called Shipton Kaserne. I lived in the barracks as I was not married at the time. Across from me and about 2 doors down, was a soldier. We'll call him "Grover", because that is what he liked to be called.
Now Grover was a big black dude. Probably 6', and easily 230+lbs. His arms were the size of most guys thighs.
Now the physical spectacle of the guy would set you back at first, cause the guy was ripped. That is, until he spoke.
He literally sounded like a cross between Richard Simmons and Martha Stewart.
He was a nice guy, very polite to all the other soldiers, and very respectful of them.
Now I was typically homophobic at the time, and I shuddered every time another soldier disappeared into his room in the late hours of the night, and creeped out to go to formation in the morning.
However, no sounds or other indicators ever came from the room.
Then, we get deployed.
I hop into my 5-ton after our convoy brief at the DMZ separating Iraq and Kuwait, and lo and behold, Grover is my assigned TC.
I didn't know what to think about this initially. I was kind of perturbed that I didn't get somebody from my squad in the truck, let alone the big gay guy that I was unsure was going to cover us as we mobilized during the invasion.
Yep, there was doubt initially.
SO we get rolling across the DMZ, and he flips open the front window and places his 249 on the 5tons hood. I keep my M16 in one hand, and drive with the other.
For those who don't know, military vehicles have a weapon stow for your M16 that you can put the rifle in to hold it while you drive. I guess I wasn't initially comfortable with that.
So here we are, foot firmly on the floor, blasting down MSR Tampa via the "Kuwaiti 80". "Grover" is pointing his SAW at everything.
I mean everything.
There was not a single hasty, entrenchment, bunker, or emplacement that we drove by that did not get at least, a healthy view of his machine guns business end.
The funny part is what happens on this stretch of road.
I am hopping and bouncing up and down in my 5tons spring loaded seat, and due to all the hydration we had done, I had to piss like you would not believe.
Now the convoy is not gonna make a courtesy stop for me to duck into an Iraqi Kwiki-Mart, know what I mean? I can piss into one of the empty water bottles bouncing around on the floor, but that presents another problem...
Big Gay Grover is sitting right next to me.
Now he never shifts his focus for even a millisecond from his line of fire, which is out over the hood. he is steadfast, looking again, at anything suspicious outside of our vehicle.
I look down at the water bottle....bladder about to burst...
I look at Grover...
Back to to the water bottle...
Back at Grover....
Back to the water bottle....
Grover, still sighting up an approaching emplacement on an overpass, says, "Do you have to pee?".
I say, "Yeah. Yeah man I have to go.".
No ****, he says, "Don't worry, you aren't my type", and cracks a smile.
Somehow relieved, I snap my 16 in the rack, reach down one-handed and grab a water bottle.
Do I even have to explain the logistics of unscrewing the water bottle cap while simultaneously unbuttoning my BDU pants and making it all work?
Nah, didn't think so...
I didn't spill a drop. It all made it into the bottle, and in a hasty decision, I threw the bottle out of the window.
I look in my rearview and some kid is picking it up...
Later on, still in the midst of combat operations during a tactical roadmarch (Convoy), they replace Grover with some "ghetto thug rapper", as my TC.
The guy put his CD player on, and cowered on the bench of the 5-ton in the small confined corner of the cab. His magazine was not even inserted into his 16, which was leaning against the cab, directly behind him.
He made some comments about not being able to engage, because he was "scared", and because he "didn't feel it was right".
I didn't bother to explain the niceties of how he may prevent my brains from becoming interior decor for the 5tons olive green cab by simply covering his battle buddy.
He wasn't in it. He simply wasn't in it.
Back to holding the 16 with my right arm, and driving with my left.
Now again, I am sorry if this has been stated before, but frankly, I will share this absolutely true story with whoever I run into that has obvious homophobia issues.
I don't care if it's your religious guidance that leads you to hate them.
I don't care if you find their act disgusting (the mere thought of the physical act disgusts me too, trust me, I get it)
The reality, is that they are competent, regular human beings, capable of being some of the countries best soldiers.
Everybody has to abide by the standards set forth in the UCMJ anyways, and they're expressly prohibitive of a lot of the activity that would worry anybody about ANY display of sexual orientation or preference anyways.
So who freakin cares?
This topic is sensationalized and done to death.
I don't understand their lifestyle choice, but frankly, it's their right. Our discomfort with it is a complete parallel to antis being scared of our firearms out of irrational fear and misunderstanding.
Get over it.
