Jeffrey McGowans book is about his experience in the military for over a decade. While this in itself is not that impressive - many people serve their whole lives - the book tells the story of a gay man living his secret life under the Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell policy. This policy has made it impossible for a member of the military to be open about his sexuality while still serving his country - even mentioning that you gay or lesbian is grounds for automatic separation from the institution.
The story Jeffrey tells is about keeping his life a secret and how he hid who he was for many years. In the book Jefferey also talks about how homophobia impacts the miliary for people who are of all sexual orientations. He tells stories about his time commanding troops in the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm where he worked his way up to the rank of major and how he eventually gave it all up and resigned to live his life without the constant threat of detection and expulsion.
This book is a must read for active military members - and civilians - to learn about what we need to do to make a better military. It can open your mind about the policies we should change to help our growing active military members - gay or straight - be more confortable.
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