Service chiefs: Repeal DADT, but not now - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Service chiefs: Repeal DADT, but not now

The chiefs of the four military services sharply disagreed Friday on when to potentially repeal the ban on open service by gays, with several saying such a move is too risky at a time of continued heavy force stress and ongoing combat operations.

While the Navy’s top officer backed immediate repeal, the top generals of the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force said now is not the time for repeal, primarily citing significant opposition from combat units that are facing repeated deployments.

Long viewed as strong opponents of repealing the “don’t ask don’t tell” law, the service chiefs testified on Capitol Hill on Friday to inform lawmakers whether their views had shifted since the Pentagon’s 10-month internal study of the potential impacts of repeal was released Tuesday.

That report included a troop survey showing that about 70 percent of service members would have no problem serving alongside gays and that repealing the ban poses little overall risk to military readiness, unit cohesion and troop retention.

But Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos cited data showing more than 60 percent of some all-male Marine combat units fear allowing gays to serve openly will adversely affect their unit cohesion, effectiveness and morale.

“I cannot reconcile, nor turn my back, on the negative perceptions held by our Marines who are most engaged in the hard work of day-to-day operations in Afghanistan,” he told lawmakers.

In contrast, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead cited the survey when he urged the senators to vote for repeal.

“We see within the Navy a positive to neutral effect from this,” Roughead said. “With the exception of moderate risk associated with projected retention in some Navy irregular warfare specialties, I assess the risk to readiness, effectiveness and cohesion of the Navy to be low. Accordingly, based on my professional and informed inputs from our navy, I recommend … repeal.”

The Senate may vote later this year to repeal the ban, which the House of Representatives has already approved.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said he does not believe gays are a threat to good order and discipline in the long run, but he explicitly opposed any immediate repeal based on the “moderate risk” it would pose to current operations.

“Eventually, I believe it should be repealed. The question for me is one of time,” Casey said. “I would not recommend going forward at this time, given everything that the Army has on its plate. I don’t think it’s prudent to seek full implementation in the near term. I think that is too risky.”

Amos — among the most outspoken opponents of repeal — also agreed that allowing gays to serve openly could work in the future, but not now.

“My recommendation would be, it begins when our singular focus is no longer on combat operations,” Amos said. “At that point I’d be comfortable with implementing repeal. “

Casey and Amos declined to give lawmakers a specific timeframe.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz suggested 2012 might be a good target timeframe for full implementation of repeal.

“It is difficult for me, as a member of the Joint Chiefs, to recommend placing any additional discretionary demands on our leadership cadres in Afghanistan at this particularly challenging time,” Schwartz said. “I therefore recommend deferring certification and full implementation until 2012, while initiating training and education efforts soon after any decision to repeal.”

Amos repeatedly cited the strong negative feelings of many Marines who fear gays in all-male combat units will undermine the close-knit bonds of infantrymen. He pointed to the “intricate, woven … almost a filial love” that characterizes the bonds among infantrymen.

Amos quoted the comments of one unnamed Marine lieutenant who said: “If you were to add any element of sexual competition into a unit, intra-unit sexuality or hesitancy of trust, it would unquestionably prevent those bonds from forming.”

Amos urged lawmakers to block immediate repeal of the ban.

“Based on what I know about the very tough fight on the ground in Afghanistan, the almost singular focus of our combat forces as they train and deploy into theater, the necessary tightly woven culture of those combat forces that we are asking so much of at this time, and finally the direct feedback from the survey, my recommendation is that we should not implement repeal at this time,” Amos told lawmakers.

At the same time, he assured the senators that he will unquestionably implement any changes Congress makes to the current law.

“At the end of the day, we are Marines — should Congress change the law, then our nation’s Marine Corps will faithfully support the law. … I promise you I will follow the law.”