CQ POLITICS NEWS
Sept. 29, 2010 – 1:40 p.m.
Pentagon Reviews Results of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Survey
The military is now reviewing results of surveys it requested from servicemembers and their families about ending the ban on openly gay individuals serving in the military.
About 400,000 military personnel were surveyed in addition to members of 150,000 families, Adm. Mike Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday. Mullen in February forcefully advocated repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law. But he cautioned that Congress should wait for the Pentagon to “crunch the data” from its survey before it acts to end the policy.
Mullen said the Pentagon now has enough data to be statistically significant. The information, which Mullen said he hoped would help guide the legislative process, will be used in implementing a new policy.
“The reason to conduct the survey is to get objective data from the people affected most by this change,” he said. “It is that data that will highlight issues in terms of implementation and issues that need to be addressed before certification.”
He said the military would look specifically at issues affecting force readiness, training and cohesion.
“These are real things we have to deal with,” Mullen said. He said the troops’ input is important, in part, because “this force has been stretched.”
Mullen noted that the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill awaiting a vote by the Senate and the version passed by the House would not mandate repeal until the Pentagon’s review of the survey is complete. Nonetheless, he said it would be better if Congress waits until the review of the surveys is completed later this year.
The final results are due on the desk of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates by Dec. 1.
The Senate blocked consideration of the defense authorization bill last week, in part because of GOP objections over several other measures that Democrats wanted to attach to the bill.
Congress is expected to revisit the issue when it returns in November.
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