Air Force Major Witt Essay

Air Force Major Margaret Witt was an accomplished, decorated, and by all accounts outstanding flight nurse throughout 19 years in military service.[16] She received superb performance evaluations and numerous high awards and honors in recognition of her superior career achievements. The Air Force made her a literal “poster child” in 1993, when it selected her to be prominently featured in its recruiting and promotional materials as the “model” Air Force nurse.[17] Serving for most of her career in Aeromedical Evacuation Squadrons, Major Witt was responsible for providing inflight care and treatment of ill and injured servicemembers during transport aboard military aircraft.[18] She served in Europe in the 1990’s, caring for ill and wounded in Bosnia, and in the Middle East, where she served on dozens of flight missions to rescue and treat soldiers fighting in Iraq.[19]

Recognition for her service included an Air Medal citation from President Bush commending her delivery of “outstanding medical care” to wounded servicemembers during Operation Enduring Freedom.[20] The citation noted that “her airmanship and courage directly contributed to the successful accomplishment of important missions under extremely hazardous conditions and demonstrate[d] her outstanding proficiency and steadfast devotion to duty.”[21] She was named Air Force Officer of the
Regulations implementing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell called for the mandatory discharge of all servicemembers who engaged in homosexual conduct, attempted to form a same-sex marriage, or indicated a “propensity” to engage in such acts or relationships, for instance, by making a “homosexual statement” indicating their sexual orientation.[27] Under these regulations, discharge was mandatory for all servicemembers in all of these circumstances except where the servicemember could demonstrate a predominantly heterosexual orientation.[28] Major Witt could not and did not attempt to deny her orientation or same-sex