Riverside, Calif. - A former Air Force officer testified Friday that he did not violate the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy but was discharged after a service member snooped through his e-mail.

Former Air Force Maj. Michael Almy took the witness stand to support a federal court lawsuit filed by a Republican gay rights organization challenging the constitutionality of the military's ban on openly gay troops.

The non-jury trial has forced the federal government to defend a policy that President Obama is pushing Congress to repeal.

Lawyers for the Log Cabin Republicans say they don't want to wait on Washington and are seeking a federal injunction to immediately halt the policy. Attorney Dan Woods has argued the policy violates the rights of gay military members to free speech, due process and open association.

"Don't ask, don't tell" prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members but requires discharge of those who acknowledge being gay or are discovered to be engaging in homosexual activity, even in the privacy of their own homes off base.

Almy said he was called to his commander's office and questioned about a dozen personal e-mails he said the Air Force discovered after a service member searched through his computer in Iraq.

Almy said his commander tried to force him to admit he had violated the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

"We went round and round for approximately 20 minutes," Almy testified.

Almy said he never admitted to the military he was gay and was careful to keep his personal life separate from his professional one. He was honorably discharged in 2006.