“It’s a very pleasant, and unexpected, surprise to learn that the Navy so values Jason’s service that they have again assigned him to the Individual Ready Reserve, despite his very public advocacy as an openly gay man.”
— SLDN’s Steve Ralls, on the Navy’s latest administrative embarrassment

In a true Boggles the Mind event, the Navy, after booting Jason Knight for being openly gay, has issued his second set of discharge papers and these say nothing about his homosexuality as a reason for dismissal — and lists him as eligible to serve! (Stars and Stripes):

A sailor who publicly outed himself as a homosexual has once again been discharged by the Navy, but has once again been given a recall status that could allow him to return to active duty.

…Knight’s new discharge papers — like his previous discharge papers — do not mention homosexual conduct as the reason for his dismissal. Instead, they cite “completion of required active service.” And they list his recall code as RE-1, with a reserve obligation ending in April 2009.

“I can’t do anything but laugh,” Knight said Wednesday in a telephone interview. “It’s getting to the point of being ridiculous.”

According to Knight, soon after the story broke —  and was repeated in dozens of media outlets — he was called to the Judge Advocate General’s office at a Navy base in San Diego. He went through the paperwork with a military lawyer, signing forms that indicated he was to be discharged for “homosexual conduct.”

Ooops. Guess that shows you the level of administrative dysfunction going on there. It’s a miracle they manage to discharge any homos. Steve Ralls:

“There are clearly many people inside the armed forces who couldn’t care less about sexual orientation. The Navy has welcomed Jason Knight not once, not twice, but now a third time, and he has always answered the call to duty. His story proves there is no room to question the patriotism, dedication and commitment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, and shame on those who still do.”