While DATD certainly intensified witch hunts, witch hunts certainly didn't begin with DADT. Many military members lost military careers and livelihoods because of their LGBTQ status prior to 1992. In fact, I discuss the fear people lived under in the following article:

When the FBI Polygraphed Me to Ask If I Was Gay

https://medium.com/prismnpen/when-the-fbi-polygraphed-me-to-ask-if-i-was-gay-72692cb976ba?source=friends_link&sk=4dfd8e7acd6b939b868e7d56fd12143a’’

The following link contains referenced to pre-1992 US military anti-LGBTQ witch hunts:

Uniform discrimination:

https://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/usa0103/USA0103FINAL-02.htm