How many gay Soldiers are there?

Who cares? Soldiers are judged off of their military merits and ability to successfully accomplish their mission, not who they date on weekends. There could be one gay Soldier, ten gay Soldiers, or two hundred thousand gay Soldiers currently serving and it should not change the Army one bit. The United States Army affords gay Soldiers protection under the Equal Opportunity Program. No one should be discriminated against for their sexual orientation when it comes to military service.

However, be prepared for a tricky board question such as “What would you do if a Soldier comes to you and says they are being harassed and discriminated for their sexual orientation?” The FIRST priority is the Soldier’s health and safety. Ensure the Soldier is okay by talking to them. If they are not, get them help; utilize your available resources to ensure the Soldier is safe and healthy before worrying about addressing the situation. Next, make a leader’s assessment. Is the situation small enough that you can handle it yourself and inform your leadership? Or does the situation warrant additional help such as a higher ranking person? Consult with your leadership. Lastly, if you have consulted with your leadership and attempted to handle the situation at the lowest level with no result, then it may be time to utilize the Army’s EO resources.

If you need to utilize the Army’s EO resources, begin by consulting with your company’s EO representative/leader who has been trained in the EO program. Next, you are going to follow the guidance of your company’s EO SME, but if the situation is not resolved it may need to be escalated to a Battalion level EO representative. If for whatever reason you do not receive help at each successive step, utilize the open door policy until your situation is resolved.

The answer to the above question is long compared to other answers, but you need to be able to explain the process and emphasize your concern for Soldiers throughout. NCOs’ two primary functions are to 1) accomplish the mission and 2) take care of their subordinates. If you your answer does not revolve around these two priorities, then it probably is not the right answer.