Beyond the Checkpoint
Page 30
“Oh, no. Not like that. It’s got caviar on it.”
Lynn grabbed a glass of water and poured the water over her hand and the ring. After drying it off with her shirt, she proudly held it out.
Ali broke out into a bout of chuckles but managed to say, “I was always attracted to your good looks and sincerity, but it’s your endless charm and debonair style that hooked me.”
Lynn slipped the ring on Ali’s finger. It fit perfectly.
Scott cupped his hands over his mouth. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Soon, he had everyone chanting.
“Give me the best French kiss ever,” Ali shouted.
Lynn smiled. “With pleasure.”
Glossary of Terms
Al Qaeda Militant Sunni Islamist multi-national organization founded by Osama bin Laden. In 1999, the United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 1267 linking Al Qaeda and the Taliban (Afghan political group) as terrorist organizations.
Battle Rattle Slang for body armor.
Chow Hall Slang for dining.
CIA Central Intelligence Agency
CID The United States Army Criminal Investigation Division
COP Combat Outpost
DIA Defense Intelligence Agency
ESRI The Environmental Systems Research Institute is a world leader, developer, and supplier of software, web Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and geodatabase management applications.
FOB Forward Operating Base
Geospatial Data that relates to the physical world or is associated with a particular location.
Green Zone Security zone in the heart of Kabul that includes ISAF Headquarters, the U.S. Embassy, key Afghan buildings, and International Embassies.
Helo Slang for helicopter.
HUMINT Human Intelligence
IED Improvised Explosive Device
IC Intelligence Community. Agencies and departments (military and civilian) that gather intelligence information on foreign entities.
ISAF International Security Assistance Force
JETT Fictious term that stands for Joint Elite Technology Team.
JIEDDO The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization was renamed in 2015 to Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency. JIEDDO’s mission was to defeat IEDs and IED networks.
MRAP Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected
MRE Meals Ready to Eat
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NCOIC Noncommissioned Officer In Charge. In this story, the second in command after the JETT officer.
NGA National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
NPIC National Photographic Interpretation Center
NSA National Security Agency, headquartered at Fort Meade in Maryland.
PDB President’s Daily Briefing.
PT Physical Training
PSYOP Psychological operations. PSYOP soldiers specialize in unconventional capabilities, cultural expertise, language proficiency, military deception and advanced communications techniques. Their mission is to influence a targeted group’s emotions, motives, and objective reasoning.
R&R Rest & relaxation. Military word for vacation time.
Taliban A Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement and military organization in Afghanistan. In 1999, the United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 1267 linking Al Qaeda and the Taliban as terrorist organizations.
UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Locations
Ahmed Khel Town northeast of Gardez, near the Pakistan border.
Bagram Largest military base in Afghanistan. North of Kabul.
Baraki Barak Town between Gardez and Kabul. Former capital of Logar Province.
Camp Eggers US base in Kabul, closed in 2014.
Gardez Capital of Paktia Province.
ISAF Headquarters Close to the US Embassy.
Fort Meade Located in Maryland. The National Security Agency and the United States Cyber Command are located on this U.S. Army installation. Commonly called Fort Meade, the official name is Fort George G. Meade.
Jalalabad Town near the Pakistan border. FOB Fenty is located in this town.
J-Bad Slang for FOB Fenty.
Kabul Capital of Afghanistan.
Lake Accotink Park located in Springfield, Virginia.
Shirley Highway I-295. Local name for highway that connects Northern Virginia beltway and Washington D.C.
Shirlington The Village of Shirlington in Arlington. Popular and upscale.
Surobi Town on the Kabul-Nangarhar Highway and halfway between Kabul and Jalalabad.
Tagab Village halfway between Bagram Air Force Base and Surobi.
Final Note by the Author
I retired as a government employee with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Like society, the federal government and agencies evolved in their stance on the LGBTQ community and are still changing, hopefully for the better.
I’m sure many people are familiar with the general facts of the policy “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT). In that policy, a U.S. military member could lose their career if it were revealed they were gay. There were horrible episodes that some people suffered. DADT was instituted by the Clinton Administration on February 28, 1994, and officially ended on September 20, 2011 by the Obama Administration.
What many people don’t know is that President Bill Clinton also signed two Executive Orders. EO 12968 in 1995 and EO 13087 in 1998 provided some protection for gay federal employees (civilians). It’s complicated, but it boiled down to a murky gray area where some organizations were more lenient to their civilian employees, and others were strict and unforgiving.
Believe it or not, the CIA was more progressive and implemented positive change way before other agencies. While writing this book, I ran across an article by the Daily Beast. They interviewed Tracey Ballard in 2015; https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-cia-came-out-of-the-closet. The article described Tracey as the co-founder of the Agency’s Network of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Employees and Allies (ANGLE) in 1996.
About eight years before ANGLE, Tracey came out to the CIA during her “lifestyle” polygraph and was honest about her relationship with her partner, who was in the military. As a result, she was forced to appear before a panel of CIA officers—all men. They pried into her personal life and relationship to “assess whether her sexuality made her a risk to national security.” She didn’t lose her clearance. Of course, the CIA was not subordinate to the Department of Defense.
I’m sure there are many heroes out there, but Tracey’s story rocks my world. I met Tracey in a technical training class sometime around the late 1980s, probably around the same time she was undergoing scrutiny by the male CIA officers. I will forever remember how kind she was.
During that class, I was inexplicably drawn to Tracey and struck up chitchat during lunch. I’m not referring to a physical attraction, but rather a sense that she was different like me—a lesbian. I was drawn to how she dressed, casual and comfortable in slacks, and had an air of independence and confidence.
We discussed the class, movies, music, the weather…anything but why I felt comfortable around her. My intuition told me I could relax even though neither of us mentioned sexuality or politics. Years later, I ran into her and her partner at an LGBTQ event. By then, I was out socially, but still not at work.
When I look back on that class, I now understand a little more about myself. Back then, I was deep in the closet to myself and the world. Okay, I was scared shitless. I feared someone would label me, and I’d lose my job. It didn’t help that I was taught as a young kid that “those people are bad and immoral.” So, every time I thought about myself being a lesbian, I denied it to be true and buried myself in work. Sound familiar?
Unlike Tracey, I did not come out during my first CIA “lifestyle” polygraph. I was an employee under the Department of Defense rules, and it was illegal for me to hold a clearance and be gay. This was ten years before President Clinton signed those executive orders. I had to take the CIA
version because anyone working with them had to take their “lifestyle” polygraph and their counter-intelligence polygraph.
It wasn’t until 2006 that I came out to friends. And it was in 2008 that I came out to security in my polygraph. You’ve read the book now. In real life, I was a complete puddle of tears and snot in my last poly. Unlike the book, it took more than a half-day to bounce back. And yes, the man I grew up with was an alcoholic and abusive. So, that chapter mirrored my life more than any other section of the book. In fact, I kept debating in my own head about how real to make that chapter. I must have changed it a million times.
Coming out is a personal affair, and no two people are alike. It’s not unusual in 2019 for a teenager to come out. Some folks don’t come out until later years. Other people just are themselves and feel no need to put a label around their neck. There is no wrong or right way to come out or to live or to become your authentic self.
Sadly, despite all of our progress, it is still unsafe for some people to reveal any personal information. LGBTQ history is riddled with three steps forward and at least one or two steps back. A friend said, “Why are you so worried? There’s same-sex marriage. This country has made progress.” My reply then was, “Yes, but we have a long way to go.” I was shocked at her generalization of American society. Cultural differences, biases, and awareness of others are different wherever you go. One cannot make blanket assumptions, even in the United States.
Job and housing discrimination still exist. Married on Sunday and fired on Monday is a reality for some people. How about all the crazy religious freedom laws and regulations that some states and municipalities are trying to pass?
When the case in Oregon about the baker refusing to bake a cake first hit the news, the same friend said, “I don’t understand. It’s just a cake.” I politely pointed out why it was more than just a cake.
We all have a variety of family and friends. Some that we fear turn out to be allies. Other’s not so much. A few, like the friend mentioned above, don’t understand the precarious situation that the LGBTQ community faces. Yes, my friend loves and accepts me, but she really struggles to understand.
As the saying goes, “History has a way of repeating itself.” Civil rights in this country have been trampled on and can still be trampled on. As a member of the LGBTQ community, rights earned yesterday can be taken away tomorrow.
We can’t take things for granted. I love this country, but we are not perfect. We can always improve. Improvement is not taking away someone’s dignity and rights. There is more work to be done. We cannot go backward.
Those that want us to go backward keep pounding away in the hopes that everyone will just get tired, tune out, and go in their own little corner. I say take coffee and chocolate into your own little nirvana, but don’t forget to tune in occasionally. And for heaven’s sake, please vote. Vote for love, human dignity, civil rights. Vote to keep us together and not tear us apart.
Sincerely,
Addison M. Conley
About the Author
Addison M. Conley grew up in central Illinois, moved to the east coast in her twenties, and now lives in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia with two fur babies. For many years, her writing was strictly business reports filled with facts, but the yearning to write fiction never left.
Beyond the Checkpoint is her second novel. Falling for Love: A West Virginia Romance is the second edition of her first published novel. A third novel (currently untitled), is set in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, which just happens to be her favorite East Coast beach town.
When not writing, she enjoys playing cards and board games with friends, music, concerts, traveling, photography, reading, and working with stained glass.
Addison would love to hear from you.
Email: Addison.M.Conley.Author@gmail.com
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