Posted on 05/25/2010 10:47:42 AM PDT by pissant
After a conspicuous silence overnight in the wake of the Senate Armed Services Committee reaching a compromise on repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, Defense Secretary Robert Gates weighs in today with a somewhat muted endorsement: he can live with it.
"Secretary Gates continues to believe that ideally the DOD review should be completed before there is any legislation to repeal the Don't Ask Don't Tell law," Gates' spokesman Geoff Morrell emailed journalists this morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
“commander zero” has no intention of winning the war against the mohammadens and he feels that the greatest military the world has ever seen is unjust and not fair so it must be destroyed.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=59321
Gates Can Accept Dont Ask, Dont Tell Amendment
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 25, 2010 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates can accept a proposed congressional amendment overturning the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, but would prefer that lawmakers wait until a Defense Department review to assess its full impact is completed, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
Secretary Gates continues to believe that ideally, the [Defense Department] review should be completed before there is any legislation to repeal the dont ask, dont tell, law, Morrell said in a statement issued today. With Congress having indicated that is not possible, the secretary can accept the language in the proposed amendment.
Congress has made clear it wont wait for results of the Defense Comprehensive Review on the Implementation of Repeal of 10 U.S.C. 654, due Dec. 1, and expects to put the issue to a vote this week.
Office of Management and Budget Director Peter R. Orszag expressed the Obama administrations support for the proposed amendment in a May 24 letter to its sponsors.
Even if Congress passes the measure this week, the policy would remain in effect until after the review is completed and the president and military leaders have certified that a policy change wouldnt threaten the militarys ability to carry out its missions, defense officials explained.
The proposed amendment will allow for completion of the comprehensive review, enable the Department of Defense to assess the results of the review, and ensure that the implementation of the repeal is consistent with standards of military readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting and retention, Orszag wrote.
The amendment also will guarantee that the department has prepared the necessary polices and regulations needed to successfully implement the repeal, he continued.
Furthermore, such an approach recognizes the critical need to allow our military and their families the full opportunity to inform and shape the implementation process through a thorough understanding of their concerns, insights and suggestions, he wrote. The administration therefore supports the proposed amendment.
Like Gates, the administration ideally would like to see the Defense Department review completed before Congress takes any legislative action, Orszag conceded. But recognizing that Congress has chosen to move forward now, he said the administration can support the proposed amendment.
Gates, who supports the laws repeal, announced in February that he had ordered a review to understand the implications of a possible repeal of the 17-year-old law. President Barack Obama has called on Congress to repeal the law.
The implementation of open homosexuals into the military will ruin it from within.
I am not the Secretary of Defense, but even I know the ramifications of such an insidious idea.
What is so wrong with DADT. Seems to be working fine.
Well, the crucible for this policy will be when large numbers of young gay men sign up for the infantry.
Let’s see.
I’m hoping that there will be so few gays enlisting that essentially nothing will really change.
But, as the policy becomes ingrained, I fear for the future.
Gates and Obama are a tag-team on this one since Gates is giving tacit support to the concept of repealing DADT in favor of allowing open homosexuality into the ranks.
Gates, Obama and the rest of the @ssholes in the hierarchy bear total responsibility for the severe damage this will inflict onto both morale and fighting effectiveness of the US military.
On hindsight now, Gates got suckered when he agreed in good faith to the review of the policy only to be blindsided by the Congressional Democrats fast tracking the vote.
Obama conveniently lays the onus on Congress, while agreeing with them.
Unfortunately, Gates and the Senior Staff got rolled.
Perhaps you are correct, he should resign, but his commitment and responsibility to the military may override that course of action.
As if personnel issues aren’t bad enough today where many officers have to act as relationship counselors and therapists due to both sexes serving, now we get another whole can of worms.
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