Military policy on homosexuality

The military's policy on homosexuality is "Don't ask, don't tell".

Is this policy realistic? This policy works fine in the peacetime military but what about in times of war?

I am not sure if this policy is correct or not. In some ways I like it because it seems to mirror my own viewpoint that, while we should not "punish" people for being homosexual we need not be so "accepting" of them that we actually start to encourage them. Perhaps the best way to sum up my position is that if given the chance (which is what I have) I would say to gays and lesbians, "Go ahead and be homosexual if you want to, but please be discrete about it."

But if I am not going to be a bigot I need to examine whether my own position is rational. With "Don't ask, don't tell" my position runs into a snarl. This policy works wonderfully in times of peace but it really leaves something to be desired in times of war. How is that? I think I can explain it best in a joke.

Two male, heterosexual soldiers have completed training and now it is time for their unit to deploy to Iraq. Only problem is they don't want to go. So they walk into their Captain's office and say, "You have to discharge us, we're gay." Their Captain knows what they are up to and says "I do not believe you." So one of the soldiers drops his trousers and the other drops to his knees.

Is that clear enough for you?

Perhaps our military's policy on "Don't ask, don't tell" needs some refinement?