SAN ANTONIO -- Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, of San Antonio, admitted Wednesday that he is gay and said that the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the U.S. military should be lifted.

Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America," Alva said that he is going public with his story in hopes of showing Congress that the ban on gay and lesbian service members is unfair.

"I always think of it in my -- in my own head like, 'OK buddy, you pick up a gun and you go fight in Iraq or Afghanistan for a while, then you could come back and we can have a talk because I've actually sacrificed.'"

Alva said that he realized when he enlisted in the Marines in 1990 that he was gay and shared the information with fellow Marines.

He added that the military is ready for gay and lesbian troops to serve their country.

Alva, who was the first U.S. Marine seriously wounded in Iraq, said that the land mine accident that cost him one of his legs forced him out of the closet.

The Marine was scheduled to testify before Congress on Wednesday.