Multimedia Reporting (Kuhr-Musser)

Ask any member of the military why they joined, and a story is waiting to unfold. Jed Kruger, Hampton, Nebraska sophomore joined to continue the family tradition. “I would have been the only male in my family NOT to go in the military, so I made a deal with my dad and went in as enlisted” said Kruger.

Kruger joined to carry on the family tradition. Michael Franklin on the other hand, signed the dotted lines with a different mindset. Franklin, Leavenworth, graduate student explains his reasons for joining the military.

Although Kruger and Franklin joined for different reasons, the two gay soldiers had to conform to the same rules and regulations; especially Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy. But don’t assume that their conformity has any influence on the separate soldiers’ opinions.

Surprisingly, Kruger agrees with the military’s homosexual policy, at least when it comes to the grunt work. “I don’t think the general military population is ready for homosexuality” Kruger said. “Especially in a war zone,” he added.

In March of 2003, the United States invaded Iraq and Operation Iraqi Freedom began. Sometime between late at night and early in the morning on the 13th of March, Kruger, a staff sergeant with the United States Air Force, was on his way to Camp Biap, a base approximately 10 miles west of Baghdad. As a mid-level intelligence soldier, SSG Kruger along with six other Air Force soldiers were being escorted by Marines for a top-secret mission.

Twenty minutes away from the camp, approximately 25 insurgents were patiently waiting for the small convoy. Once within range, the insurgents ambushed the convoy by throwing home made weapons similar to land mines at the convoy. “It was your typical flat desert terrain, and they just came out of nowhere” said Kruger.

One of the home-made bombs landed underneath the hum-vee carrying Kruger, his colonel, and their Marine escorts. The explosion amputated the hum-vee’s doors and Kruger was thrown from the vehicle. The colonel landed near him, with the Hum-Vee on top of his legs. Close by, another improvised grenade went off, causing the hum-vee to rock and possibly saving the colonel’s life.

“”There was enough of an explosion to shake the hum-vee so I could pull him out (from underneath)” said Kruger. Kruger recalls immediately returning fire.

Why then would a war-hardened gay veteran agree with Clinton’s policy? “In a war, you need trust” Kruger said. According to the U.S. Army’s Homosexual Conduct Policy, the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy is the answer to the lack of trust. “The challenge to all soldiers is to comply with the law that prohibits homosexual conduct while at the same time respecting the privacy and dignity of every soldier.”

Anyone who has been in the military, knows there are two basic kinds of soldiers; grunts and paper pushers. While Kruger thinks gay soldiers might be okay on the office side, he says homosexuality causes problems when grunts go to war.

“The grunt mentality is usually lower than the paper pushers” Kruger said.

He said that a vast majority of soldiers, specifically army soldiers, join because they have few choice outside of military life; either due to past crimes which force civilians to become soldier to get of out jail time, or high school graduates coming from low income families and wanting a better job than the local McDonald’s. It’s these low income, get out of jail free card holders that worry Kruger. “Usually, their first reaction is violence” Kruger said.

But Franklin disagrees not only with Kruger but with the policy itself. “If a gay man or woman wants to fight in the trenches, they should be able to, and be able to come home to a partner” said Franklin. Franklin joined the Army Reserves in 1994 and served his entire eight years until 2002. During that time, Franklin had to conform to the policy, but he didn’t agree with it.

Where Franklin perceives gay life in the military as hiding, Kruger views it as a balancing act. “You have to know when you have to be a certain person” Kruger said. Kruger dated a co-worker for three years and even lived with his partner. Kruger kept his personal life at home, living in a three bedroom house with his partner in order to avoid investigation.

By separating his personal life from his professional military life, Kruger was able to be a proficient sergeant. “I took care of my troops and didn’t let my personal life affect my work life” said Kruger. Kruger said that lots of people knew he was gay, but through earning their respect he was able to keep the focus off of his homosexuality.

Kruger compares his professionalism towards his troops to his work here in Lawrence.

Luckily, Kruger’s troops took care of him as well. After Kruger and the colonel were thrown from their hum-vee, the marines returned fire. “Thank God for them (marines), they saved our asses’ big time” said Kruger. During the initial attack, Kruger landed on a rock that punctured his vertebrae. After extensive back surgery in which Kruger’s whole left side had to be realigned, Kruger was given the option to sit behind a desk for the rest of his time or to be medically discharged. The staff sergeant chose the latter option.

Today the two soldiers are joined through another unifying organization, the University of Kansas. Here, Kruger and Franklin can be who they want to be, when they want to be without hiding or separating their personal lives from their scholastic future.