Foul Play

At Fort Belvoir, common sense goes AWOL.

ALITTLE BIT OF common sense, not to mention compassion, is needed in the case of a Northern Virginia woman whose hospitality to some out-of-town ballplayers has gotten her in trouble with her boss. But, then, that would mean Army officials would have to admit they acted pretty silly in the name of national security.

Kim Gore is a civilian defense employee who for the past three summers has welcomed into her Prince William home young foreigners here to play baseball for the minor league Potomac Nationals. The young men, who come from countries such as the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, get help with food and lodging and in return are a part of a community, signing autographs and meeting with young people.

This seemingly admirable arrangement became a problem after Ms. Gore was allowed to work at home because the cancer treatment she is receiving makes the drive to Fort Belvoir difficult. Army officials -- who read of Ms. Gore's volunteer work in the Potomac News -- were aghast, saying the combination of foreign nationals and her access to sensitive material could compromise national security. Ms. Gore was reprimanded, and her security clearance has been restricted while a review is conducted. A 33-year employee with a stellar record now has to worry about her job in addition to her health.

We certainly understand that the government needs to be careful with its secrets. But Ms. Gore was not accessing any classified information from home, and even the Army concedes it doesn't have rules against hosting foreign nationals. So it's a little unclear exactly what she did wrong. Moreover, how much of a threat do these young men pose? Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), no slouch when it comes to baseball or homeland security, told us that he has played practice ball with the players and that "certainly, they are no danger to the United States."

In the end, Ms. Gore's volunteering might just do America as much good as her Army work. As she told the Potomac News, "These guys go home and tell people how great we are and how much they love us and how Americans are not as ugly as they thought. What better goodwill can there be?"

Surely the Army has more serious problems to worry about.