By Lisa Autry
Fort Cambpell, KY – President Obama today fulfills a campaign promise by signing a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the 17-year-old ban on gays serving openly in the military. Reaction is mixed among soldiers at Fort Campbell, the army post on the Kentucky-Tennessee line. Private Devere Artis deploys to Afghanistan in March. Having served two tours already, he tells NPR deployments mean close quarters.
"I would say ten percent of the time you're going to be nude over there in front of another soldier, washing up, changing your clothes, getting yourself ready for work."
Private Artis says he's fine with lifting the ban on serving openly, mostly because he'll know for sure who is gay. The soldier says he doesn't have anything against gay colleagues, but still doesn't want homosexual behavior around him.