The U.S. Army has suspended a recruiter who sent anti-gay and anti-black email messages to a black gay man. U.S. Army recruiter Sgt. Marcia Ramode sent several emails in response to Corey Andrew, a New Jersey man, who had originally posted his resume on CareerBuilder.com. After Andrew received an unexpected reply from the Army, he sent back a message asking about the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that excludes gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces. Ramode wrote back that being gay made him unqualified, and that homosexuality was "disgusting and immoral."

Early this morning, the Chicago Tribune reported that Sgt. Ramode had been suspended from recruiting duties until an investigation is complete. Douglas Smith, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Recruitment Command at Ft. Knox, Ky., said he could not comment on Ramode's actions because of the investigation, but he did say that recruiters are expected to behave professionally and that there is a protocol for handling situations when applicants reveal that they are gay. "If an applicant makes a statement that he or she is homosexual, the recruiter must inform the applicant in a professional manner that they are not eligible for enlistment," Smith said in a statement.

Jersey City resident Corey Andrew, like thousands of other job seekers, recently posted his profile on a popular career-based web site, hoping to nab some work as a copywriter. But the response he received was anything but typical.

The posting on CareerBuilder.com brought several potential suitors, including an Army recruiter who replied in late February. However, Andrew had no interest in joining the Army for a number of reasons, including the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian citizens from putting on the uniform. Andrew identifies himself as gay.

His lack of interest didn't stop him from asking the recruiter whether he was able to serve in the Army as a gay man. The question sparked a bizarre three-day exchange, escalating into a bigoted tirade from the recruiter and an official military investigation.

Using a military email address, U.S. Army recruiter Sgt. Marcia Ramode fired off an email in capital letters that " IF YOU ARE GAY WE DON'T TAKE YOU. YOU ARE CONSIDERED UNQUALIFIED."

After more prodding from Andrew on the Army's recruitment policy, the messages escalated into a bigoted tirade. For example, Ramode told Andrew that "being gay is disgusting and immoral."

In a separate email, Ramode wrote, "You must be a total idiot and so stupid to presume that you do not know what gender you are." Ramode added that Andrew should be more grateful to the military for defending his freedoms, but that as a gay man "he should leave the United States."

The insults were not only flying one way, as Andrew criticized her vocabulary and poor spelling and, after finding out she was a Native American, wrote: "So take that to your next rain dance."

Ramode didn't limit her email attacks to insults about Andrew's sexual preferences.

Andrew, who is black, criticized Ramode's word choices and poor spelling. In response, the apparently enraged sergeant said in graphic language that Andrew should "GO BACK TO AFRICA AND DO YOUR GAY VOODOO LIMBO TANGO AND WANGO DANCE AND JUMP AROUND AND PRANCE AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE HALF NAKED THERE."

The U.S. Army Recruiting Command's Staff Judge Advocate has referred the email exchange to Ramode's commander for "review, investigation and appropriate action," Sgt. Douglas Smith, a public affairs officer based Fort Knox, Texas, said in a statement.

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Steve Ralls, a director of communications for the Service Members Legal Defense Network, which helps victims of discrimination under the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, says Ramode should be fired.

"The recruiter's remarks were outrageous and offensive in almost every way," Ralls said. "Anti-gay harassment throughout the military is well documented but this is particularly egregious because the recruiter's language is so homophobic and racist."