Army Board Recommends Lt. Dan Choi Be Discharged Under DADT

Today, an Army board in Syracuse at Hancock Air Base recommended that Lt. Dan Choi be discharged under Don't Ask Don't Tell since he publicly stated that he was gay. This despite Choi delivering stacks of letters and petitions from thousands of individuals demanding he should stay in the army.

The recommendation goes to Lt. Gen. Thomas Miller of the First Army Division, and Gen. Craig McKinley, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, who will make the final decision.

Choi pledged to keep fighting to stay in the army. "I'm disappointed," said Choi at a news conference tonight. "Today was a setback for me."

But Choi said he plans to appeal to the higher ranking officers. "I refuse to lie about my love relationship," he said.

The AP reports, "Lt. Dan Choi is the first New York National Guard member discharged for violating the military's policy against homosexual conduct. About 10,500 military and National Guard members have been discharged for violating the policy in the 12 years from 1997 through 2008."

Last month, Lt. Dan spoke to Unite the Fight at Meet in the Middle, reiterating his pledge to keep fighting DADT.