Lt. Dan Choi, who was ordered discharged from the military for revealing he is gay under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, is back in uniform.
Last year, an Army National Guard committee had recommended that Choi, an Arabic translator, be discharged under the “don’t ask” policy after he said on The Rachel Maddow Show that he is gay.
Choi told the Advocate that after he was called up this weekend, he joined his unit on active duty in Pennsylvania, confirming an earlier report by Jeff Sheng on Bilerico.com.
The move comes one week after the nation’s two top Defense officials, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, called for an end to the 17-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
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Choi has remained in the Guard while awaiting a final decision on his discharge.
In a comment on his Facebook page, Choi wrote, “Feels great to be back with my National Guard unit, but I’m still facing discharge.”
The Iraq veteran and West Point graduate says his commander has been very supportive and urged him to return to monthly drills.