May 20, 2009

Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach is an F-15E aviator with nine air medals -- and the next service member to be fired under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

An 18-year combat veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Fehrenbach is only two years shy of retirement. But because of his discharge, he is losing his career and benefits because he's gay.

Last night, Fehrenbach appeared on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show to share his discharge story.

Fehrenbach served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He flew the longest combat sorties in his squadron history, destroying Taliban and Al Qaeda targets in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. And after the Sept. 11 attacks, he was hand-picked to protect the airspace over Washington, D.C.

Fehrenbach originally put off appealing his discharge in the hopes President Obama and Congress would overturn DADT. But because Congress and the Administration have not acted with any urgency, he is now challenging his discharge, fighting to serve his country and keep his retirement.

Every day, the military loses more and more patriots like Lt. Col. Fehrenbach because of DADT. And the longer Congress delays repealing the law, the more our brave service members will suffer under this ban.

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