Let Us Be All We Can Be : Military: It’s a disservice to our country and its service members to discharge someone with HIV.

I’ve never met them, but I have great respect for the 1,049 members of the U.S. military who, like me, just want to do their jobs and provide for their families . . . and who, like me, are HIV positive.

Congress recently passed a defense bill that does a lot of good things for America. Unfortunately, buried in this massive defense effort was a real bomb--a provision ordering these dedicated soldiers discharged for no good reason.

Under the old policy, put into effect by President Reagan, people with disabilities, including HIV, were allowed to serve their country as long as they could do their job. It was fair, made sense and worked fine for people with asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV or any other illness.

The new policy singles out HIV-positive service members for immediate discharge, regardless of their health or ability to do the job. Even if they have no symptoms and are feeling fine, they are out. Why? Because of ignorance, fear and prejudice. Well, an emotional reaction may be understandable, but it shouldn’t guide national policy.

Our government is supposed to educate, not discriminate. Perhaps Congress could learn a thing or two from the NBA. If basketball players can understand the facts about AIDS, so can our elected officials.

I know how it feels to face the fear of AIDS. Four years ago, I left the career I love because of fear and ignorance about the HIV virus and AIDS. Retiring from basketball was the hardest thing I ever did, but at the time, I didn’t feel I had much choice. Fortunately for all of us living with HIV, people now know a lot more about the virus, including the reality that most of us who have it can continue to lead healthy and productive lives.

It means the world to me to have the chance to play again. To do what I do best, to be part of the team--challenged to be all that I can be. That’s what the military or any job is supposed to be about.

The military didn’t ask for this new policy and they don’t want it. The secretary of defense called it “unwise” and the head of the joint chiefs said it was “unfair” and “wasteful.” Most of these 1,049 soldiers have served for more than a decade and have a lot more they can give to our country.

Speaker Newt Gingrich recently criticized me for not understanding the “danger of having people with HIV in combat.” But that’s not the way the current policy works; service members with disabilities, including HIV, are already not being sent into combat. Service members with HlV weren’t sent to the Gulf War. They aren’t in Bosnia. But they are on military bases from coast to coast. Just because they don’t go into battle doesn’t mean they aren’t defending their country.

Service members with HIV are in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. They are shipbuilders, military police trainers, recruiters, sonar technicians, communication specialists, engineers, researchers, administrators and more.

They are American men and women who want to work hard and be part of the toughest military in the world. They live to serve and they shouldn’t be a casualty of prejudice. They deserve better. America deserves better.

And if losing this talent isn’t crazy enough, think of their families. More than half of these soldiers are married with children. If this policy isn’t repealed, more than 1,200 spouses and children will lose their family income and their medical benefits. Is this any way to repay soldiers for serving their country? I don’t think so and I bet most Americans agree.

There’s some hope that Congress will turn this around. Sens. Ted Kennedy, Bill Cohen and Sam Nunn are introducing a bill to repeal this senseless injustice. A similar bill is moving in the House, and President Clinton has rightly called for fast action.

This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s a human issue and our leaders in Washington still have time to do the right thing before real people are hurt. For the sake of 1,049 patriotic Americans and their families, let’s hope they do.