Closeted and under fire.

This article narrates an experience of a gay American soldier deployed in Iraq. The first few months of the deployment were depressing. He could not even utter the word gay in a meaningful conversation. The telephones provided to the soldiers for moral purposes lacked privacy. He was relegated to electronic and paper correspondence for links to anything gay. He came close to outing himself, leaving the Army, and ending the painful emotional isolation. At the end of the fifth month of the deployment, on a dare from one of the straight soldiers, an openly gay soldier approached him and introduced him to a group of totally out gay men. Just being able to talk to other gay soldiers, who could understand his frustrations, had a miraculous effect on his mental health. These moments made life bearable over the course of the next months. He began coming out to his company commander, to his second in charge in the office, and to a handful of other friends in the unit, all of who are very supportive.