From: Hrccomm@aol.com
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 17:55:29 -0500
Subject: URGENT SENATE ACTION NEEDED

_________________________________________________________________
***URGENT***

Action Alert from the
Human Rights Campaign

1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  communications@hrcusa.org
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
_________________________________________________________________

December 18, 1995

                         SENATE SET TO VOTE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19
                       TO DISCHARGE HIV-POSITIVE SERVICE MEMBERS
                                                      
            GO TO HRC'S WEB SITE AND SEND MESSAGES TO YOUR SENATORS
           URGING THEM  TO OPPOSE THE BILL CONTAINING THIS LANGUAGE
                                                  http://www.hrcusa.org

Tomorrow, December 19, the Senate will vote on the Department of Defense
Authorization
Bill (H.R. 1530) conference report.  The bill authorizes funding for the
Pentagon.  The bill
contains a provision mandating the immediate discharge of HIV-positive
service members
from the military.  There is no sound medical or military reason for this
change in policy.

This provision represents an unnecessary and unsolicited change in DOD
policy.  While
service members with HIV would receive medical care from DOD medical
facilities, they
would be treated differently from the way service members with other
disabling diseases are
separated.  Singling out the 1,150 service members who are HIV-positive for
early separation
is discriminatory and highly inappropriate.

This provision would remove trained, experienced, physically healthy and
productive men and
women from the armed forces.  According to current policy, soldiers become
non-worldwide
deployable due to a number of medical reasons including HIV infection, as
well as diabetes,
asthma, heart disease, cancer and pregnancy.  These individuals are still
allowed to perform
very significant duties in the military until such time as the chronic
illness or disability makes
adequate job performance impossible.  Furthermore, the health status and
military readiness of
these personnel are monitored regularly.  This policy has been in place since
the Reagan
Administration and continues to receive the support of senior military
officials.

The Pentagon did not seek, and does not support this change in policy.  In
fact, this policy
would add unnecessary separation and retraining cost and administrative
burden on
commanders at all levels of the military without enhancing in any way the
combat readiness
of our armed forces.

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