Pentagon to Release 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Report Early

"Respondents" is a misleading term. Gates sent the surveys to 400,000 service personnel. How many of this 400,000 actually responded? According to a July 2010 report by the Stars and Stripes magazine only about 10% of that number had responded to the survey. This means that unless there was a significant increase in the percentage of responses by the August 2010 deadline, the 'survey' is incomplete and its findings non-representative and not reliable.

If Gen. James Amos were an honorable man, stood by his oath as a Marine and understands the constitution his resignation would be in the mail!!

The ban on letting willing and able gays and lesbians serve their country without lying about who they are is long overdue for repeal. Virtually every "civilized" country has determined long ago that their military readiness suffers by barring talented individuals from serving their country. It is time to end this foolish and hurtful policy, especially when the nation's military needs are as great as they are right now.

This policy will end, as it should, However, some things need to be ironed out, as many of us who served in the military know. For example, will gay domestic partners be given on-post housing at military facilities, where family housing involves living in very close together in relatively small houses and apartments? Some heterosexual military couples with young children might not want to address the issue of the gay life style at that stage, but if a gay couple lived next door, that would be a problem. Will domestic partners receive care at alreay very busy military hospitals? Who gets to shop at PX's and commisaries on military posts, where prices are lower? These days, very few people object to gay couples. I certainly don't. However, most of us have jobs where we go home every night and do not have to be with coworkers 24/7. Military life is just different. The military has to address concerns about favoritism. Some folks will think, true or not, that a gay soldier will favor a gay subordinate in matters of promotion, assignments, etc. We already see some of that with heterosexuals, when there is some evidence that a soldier involved sexually with a subordinate of the opposite sex might favor him/her. The policy WILL be changed, but the military environment is NOT like the civilian envoronment, and different matters have to be discussed and ironed out. US Army Vet

Gen Amos has apparently forgotten that a SERVING OFFICER has NO Opinion OTHER than that of his COMMANDER... In this case the Commander and Chief! (as well as the Chairman of the Joint Chief's AND the Sec of Defense!) First McChrystal now this... Discipline has obviously slipped among the higher ranks since I was in uniform. One shudders to think how this has effected our troops "while the nation remains in the heat of war in Afghanistan." Hmmm now what was that about a Stryker Kill Team under a SSG named Gibbs?

Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Amos said that the ban should stay in place while the nation remains in the heat of war in Afghanistan. General Amos seems to be the only high-ranking U.S. officer with the GUTS to speak out on DADT! Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mullen HAVE SUCCUMBED TO PRESSURE FROM THE ANTI-MILITARY OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. However I'M SURE most veterans and active military would simply drop the phrase "while the nation remains in the heat of war in Afghanistan" and simply say "MAKE IT PERMANENT."

Our troops are mature and sensible ADULTS. Stop treating them like children, unable to function in the reality of this world. They will handle the repeal of DADT just fine.

Over the past 30 to 40 years, our nation has become a more tolerant place and more free society where differences are mostly accepted and celebrated. Not to say that we are perfect; remember our charge as Americans is to always "seek a more perfect union." However, it is safe to say that in the past decade, society's attitudes have experienced a seismic shift -- especially in the area of gay and lesbian equality. Opposition to gays and lesbians serving in military service comes mostly from those who are no longer serving in the military or from those who have never served. Those who served in the military in the 60's and 70's were living in an entirely different world than today. Unfortunately many “old school” generals, are still living within the confines of old military ideology and have yet to realize that most recruits entering military service today are more open and accepting of gays and lesbians. Resisting change is SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) in the military. These same “old timers” fought and screamed in opposition to racial integration. They resisted gender integration yelling it would effect unit cohesion, recruitment and retention. They were wrong then and they are wrong now. Once the order was implemented the professional men and women in our militaries snapped to attention and made it work. Today’s military men and women, more than half of them under the age of 25 have grown up in a different environment, one of increasing acceptance of gay and lesbians. Many high schools and colleges have gay and lesbian organizations, “coming out” has ceased to be a curiosity; and much of the remnants of homophobia have simply evaporated with the passage of time. National survey confirm these trends. The recently commissioned survey among actively serving troops and their family members indicates overwhelming support for allowing openly gays to serve openly alongside their straight counterparts. The survey results, leaked this week, could be best summarized as: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Care. That's right; the No. 1 response to the survey of our troops was that they don't care if someone openly gay serves in their unit and are comfortable with openly gay service members in their ranks. Let's face it, had President Truman surveyed the troops before he integrated the military, do you really think African-Americans would have been welcomed in the time of segregation and Jim Crow? Of course not! That the survey was done was egregious, but it apparently has now backfired. In combat, competence, bravery, and common sense tend to trump partisan politics. And in the midst of two lengthy wars, this lesson seems to have been adopted by the nation these warriors are trying to protect. Some 75% of the American people support openly gay troops, and with the majority of our servicemen and women comfortable with openly gay colleagues, what possible excuse could be left for Congress to maintain this outdated and bigoted policy? It is time for President Obama to adopt Truman's mantra, "The buck stops here," and show some leadership to assure that this policy is repealed by year's end. To the foes of gay and lesbian equality, our nation is saying to you, "Stifle it, Get over it." The country is ready for equality for gays and lesbians. Get on the train or get left behind the station, isolated in the narrow-minded and antiquated world of Archie Bunker.

Twenty five countries, including Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, The United Kingdom and Israel’s battled tested forces presently allow gay members to serve openly. Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States do not allow such. Of the 26 countries that participate militarily in NATO Turkey and the United States are the only two of the original members that have bans still in place. Personally I believe this speaks for itself! Not a single one of the countries that allow gays to serve have experienced an increase in unacceptable behavior and not a single one had to do a survey. Here in the United States, more than 14,000 service members have been discharged under Don‘t Ask - Don‘t Tell, including many hundreds if not thousands with critical skills in foreign languages, military intelligence, counter terrorism, weapons development and military medicine. Meanwhile, the military is having such trouble finding qualified recruits that it issuing “moral waivers” to convicted felons and has lowered its educational and physical fitness requirements. The original rationale for “don't ask, don't tell” was that it would enhance unit morale and cohesion, and thus military preparedness, by shielding heterosexual soldiers from any knowledge that some of their colleagues were gay. That rationale has not held up in the real world. All branches of the military have routinely delayed investigations and discharges until suspected gays complete their deployments on combat missions. Their service has been deemed vital in the war zones, not detrimental. The federal court has ruled, based on persuasive evidence, that “don't ask, don't tell” is unconstitutional because it infringes the due process and free speech rights of gay service members, who are forced to lie about central elements of their lives. The courts have also made a powerful case that the law is harmful to military readiness, the opposite of what its authors said they intended. Our military leaders train our troops to be professional and at the same time teaches that lying is not only acceptable, it is mandatory. Many of the nations that have lifted their bans heard the same arguments that doing so would undermine unit cohesion, hurt retention and recruitments, None of the problems that were hypothesized materialized. Our own military has resisted racial integration, it resisted gender integration. In both cases, our military leaders kicked and screamed saying it would undermine effectiveness. Once the decision was made, soldiers saluted and followed in line. The Uniform Code Of Military Justice (UCMJ) applicable to all branches of US Military Service presently covers unacceptable behavior including sexual conduct, it should be equally and fairly enforced for all members regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. It is unfair to persecute valued service members under an outmoded and harmful law that should have been scrapped long ago. As a 12 year honorable discharged veteran of military service. I can assure everyone there are thousands of gay soldiers already serving honorably and have been since the inception of military service. Many have died defending our way of life. It is unfair to persecute valued service members under an outmoded and harmful law that should have been scrapped long ago. The time has come to throw Don't Ask, Don't Tell onto the scrap pile of American history.

The repeal of DADT may well have a chilling effect on unit cohesion, an essential component of a units ability to function under high stress and dangerous conditions. This should be explored thoroughly, and not be shoved aside for the purpose of social experimentation or engineering. Another consideration is that most young recruits are away from home or school for the first time when they enlist. As a recruit, you are made to feel that every aspect of your life, and future is in the hands of superiors. (everyone is superior to a boot) The wrong type of superior may take advantage of the vulnerability of the new recruit. I'm not saying most gays would exploit this, but the mathematical possibility increases.