Pentagon: 'Don't ask, don't tell' could be gone by September
| Washington
If the US military maintains its current pace of training, the end of 鈥渄on鈥檛 ask, don鈥檛 tell鈥� could become official Pentagon policy as soon as September, say senior defense officials, even as some conservative lawmakers continue to decry as "undemocratic" the overturn of the ban on openly gay soldiers in the armed forces.
Pentagon officials answered written questions from Congress last week that ranged from whether the Pentagon would allow same-sex couples in the military to adopt children to whether sexual assault surveys will be changed to reflect whether the perpetrator was gay to whether those who have been discharged under "don鈥檛 ask, don鈥檛 tell" would receive preferential treatment for rehiring should they choose to reenlist in the military.
The questions came in conjunction with congressional testimony last week in which Pentagon officials reported that they have finished training about 200,000 troops, or about 10 percent, of its forces in advance of repeal of the ban.
The remainder of US military service members should be trained by midsummer, said Clifford Stanley, undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness and cochairman of the team tasked with implementing the repeal. 鈥淪o far it鈥檚 been very good. The training鈥檚 gone very well,鈥� he added in testimony before the House Armed Services personnel subcommittee Friday that was largely overshadowed by events in Libya.
Defense officials testified they have seen no impact on recruiting since Congress voted in December to repeal the ban.
Yet some lawmakers continue to express concern about particular points, including whether chaplains will be required to counsel gay troops if they are personally opposed to homosexuality. 鈥淚f that chaplain can鈥檛 come to grips鈥� with counseling a gay soldier, then 鈥渨e鈥檒l get a chaplain to meet his or her needs,鈥� Mr. Stanley said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not asking anybody to change their beliefs. We鈥檙e not asking anybody to change their feelings.鈥�
In working group discussions with chaplains, 鈥渨hile many expressed opposition to a change in policy, nearly all indicated that they were willing to continue their ministry in the military,鈥� according to written responses the Pentagon provided to Congress.
Troops previously discharged under "don鈥檛 ask, don鈥檛 tell" will be eligible to reapply for military service 鈥渏ust like anyone else,鈥� based on the number of people needed for their particular occupational specialty and their physical qualifications. 鈥淭here will be no preferential treatment for service members separated [from military employment] solely under DADT,鈥� Pentagon officials wrote.
There will be no back pay for those discharged under DADT. The Pentagon questionnaire response emphasized no 鈥渃ompensation of any type, including retroactive full separation pay, for those previously separated under DADT.鈥�
The Defense Department will use the same rules for both heterosexual and same-sex couples who adopt children. 鈥淒OD will continue to recognize legal documentation, such as a court order, of adoption or custody in determining a child鈥檚 status as a dependent,鈥� according to the questionnaire, 鈥渁nd consequently a service member鈥檚 eligibility for benefits on behalf of the child.鈥�
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is currently meeting 鈥渁t least twice a week鈥� with service chiefs and other US military commanders to assess the progress of "don鈥檛 ask, don鈥檛 tell" repeal training, according to officials.
They add that while recruiting has not been affected at this point, and they do not expect to see any effect, they will continue to monitor the results of overturning the ban.
Surveys 鈥渁re only so accurate,鈥� Vice Adm. William Gortney, director of the Pentagon鈥檚 Joint Staff, told the subcommittee.
He added that it is unlikely the Pentagon will be able to implement the new policy any earlier than September. The remainder of the training will take until midsummer. Secretary Gates must then certify to Congress that the Pentagon is ready to implement the repeal. From that point, it will take 60 days before the law goes into effect.
Trainers also need time to to be able to 鈥済o back and address鈥� any concerns that may come up in training, Gortney told the subcommittee. 鈥淎ny faster,鈥� he added, 鈥渁nd we might miss something.鈥�
