5/26/10

Tomorrow Congressional votes are expected on the repeal of the controversial "don't ask don't tell" policy that prevents gays and lesbians from openly serving in the U.S. military.  This occurs against a backdrop of widespread support for military service of gays and lesbians -- both within the military and from the American people.  Military leaders at the highest level have spoken out on the subject.  America's highest ranking uniformed military officer, Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Michael Mullen, has strongly stated his personal opinion that repeal "is the right thing to do."  Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Colin Powell and General John Shalikashvili have also made similar comments.  But, perhaps more importantly, the vast majority of young veterans say that they are comfortable in the presence of gays and lesbians.  There is no evidence to suggest that gays and lesbians serving openly in the military would affect unit cohesion.  A number of studies have explored this claim - including an article in Joint Forces Quarterly that won the prestigious Secretary of Defense National Security Essay Competition - and all have shown that that there is no evidence to support it.  Countries with similar militaries - including several of our closest allies, such as Britain, Canada and Israel -- successfully have gays and lesbians serve openly.  Finally, the existing policy comes at a cost. By dismissing patriotic servicemen and women because of their sexuality, we limit the talent that is available at a time when America is in two wars and facing challenges around the world.  For example, of the 13,000 people that have been dismissed since the DADT policy has been enacted, at least 1,000 held "critical occupations," such as interpreters and engineers. A particularly harmful example is the dismissal of 320 service members with vital language skills such as Arabic and Farsi only a few months after the fall of Baghdad.  The discriminatory practice of prohibiting gays and lesbians from serving in the military is a harmful policy that is meant to prevent a problem that doesn't exist. It is no wonder that the military and the American people want to repeal it.  Congress should keep that in mind tomorrow.

There is strong, bipartisan support among the American people for repealing "Don't ask, don't tell." A new poll out from CNN finds widespread support for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell":   "A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday indicates that 78 percent of the public supports allowing openly gay people to serve in the military, with one in five opposed. ‘Support is widespread, even among Republicans. Nearly six in ten Republicans favor allowing openly gay individuals to serve in the military,' says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. ‘There is a gender gap, with 85 percent of women and 71 percent of men favoring the change, but support remains high among both groups.'" [CNN, 5/25/10]

Broad support among current and retired military leaders and young veterans for repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.  As Congress considers legislation that will turn the Administration's pledge to repeal the policy into a reality, it must consider these voices:

Admiral Michael Mullen, current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me personally, it comes down to integrity -- theirs as individuals and ours as an institution." [Admiral Michael Mullen, via Washington Post, 2/3/10]

General Colin Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,  who helped implement DADT: "In the almost seventeen years since the ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed...For the past two years, I have expressed the view that it was time for the law to be reviewed by Congress. I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." [Colin Powell, 2/3/10]

General John Shalikashvili, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "‘Don't ask, don't tell' was seen as a useful measure that allowed time to pass while our culture continued to evolve. The question before us now is whether enough time has gone by to give this policy serious reconsideration. I believe that it has." [General John Shalikashvili, 1/27/10]

51 retired generals and admirals and former Army Secretary: Repeal "don't ask, don't tell."  In a letter to Congress, 52 military leaders recommended that Congress repeal DADT: "We respectfully urge Congress to repeal the ‘don't ask, don't tell' policy. Those of us signing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish." [Military Leaders Letter to Congress, 7/23/08]

VetVoice Foundation: "An overwhelming majority of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans say it is personally acceptable to them if gay and lesbian people were allowed to serve openly in the military." Seven in ten (73%) say it is acceptable, including 42% who say it would be acceptable and 31% who would find it acceptable even though they would not like it. Only a quarter (25%) would find it unacceptable. Generational differences exist here as well, but they are not as dramatic as conventional wisdom might indicate. Forty-seven percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans under age 35 find it acceptable and would like the policy change and another 30% find it acceptable and do not like it, for a total of 77% who find it personally acceptable if gay and lesbian people were allowed to serve openly in the military. Seventy percent of veterans over age 35 would find it acceptable and only a quarter would find it unacceptable (26%). [VetVoice Foundation, 3/17/10]

Overwhelming evidence is that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal will not negatively affect U.S. military.

Center for American Progress Survey: A 2006 survey of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans showed that: "When asked whether they were comfortable in the presence of gays and lesbians, three-quarters (73%) of those surveyed said they were either somewhat comfortable (44%) or very comfortable (29%). Less than one-in-five (19%) stated that were uncomfortable, and of that group, only 4 percent identified themselves as being very uncomfortable." [CAP, 2006]

"No scientific evidence" of harm to unit cohesion:  Winner of the Secretary of Defense Essay Contest. The winner of the prestigious 2009 Secretary of Defense National Security Essay Competition was an essay written by Air Force Colonel Om Prakash in Joint Forces Quarterly, which argues forcefully for repealing the policy.  The essay concludes that "after a careful examination, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that unit cohesion will be negatively affected if homosexuals serve openly. In fact, the necessarily speculative psychological predictions are that it will not impact combat effectiveness... there is now additional empirical data as several North Atlantic Treaty Organization Allies have since lifted the ban on homosexuals serving."  [Colonel Om Prakash, Joint Forces Quarterly, 9/09]

VetVoice Foundation: "The notion that today's military members are uncomfortable around gay and lesbian people is unfounded; the data prove it is untrue." Iraq and Afghanistan veterans say they are personally comfortable in the presence of gays and lesbians. Seven in ten Iraq and Afghanistan veterans (73%) are personally comfortable, including 37% who are very comfortable. Only a quarter (23%) is uncomfortable, and hardly anyone is very uncomfortable (only 7%). Notably, younger Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are more comfortable overall (80%) and show increased intensity around the issue (41% are very comfortable). Older Iraq and Afghanistan veterans also express comfort (69% overall, 35% very comfortable) but even among older veterans, very few are very uncomfortable in the presence of gay and lesbian people (only 7%). At least seven in ten veterans who served in Iraq of Afghanistan from across the branches say they are comfortable in the presence of gays and lesbians: Air Force 78%, Navy 73%, Army 70%, and Marines 69%.[VetVoice Foundation, 3/17/10]

Current policy has negative consequences for military structure and effectiveness.  A report from the Center for American Progress explains how "don't ask, don't tell" finds that the "Don't ask Don't Tell" policy is harmful to America's military:

DADT has meant the dismissal of thousands of service members, many of whom are critical to today's wars. At the Center for American Progress Larry Korb and his coauthors find that, "DADT has resulted in the discharge of more than 13,000 patriotic and highly qualified men and women since its enactment more than 16 years ago. At least 1,000 of these 13,000 have held ‘critical occupations,' such as interpreters and engineers. Moreover, approximately 4,000 service members leave the service voluntarily per year because of this policy." A particularly harmful example is that "a few months after the fall of Baghdad, the military had forced out more than 320 service members with vital language skills such as Arabic and Farsi.  These are the very critical specialties in which the military continues to face personnel shortfalls." 

While qualified and patriotic homosexuals are dismissed, the military struggles with recruitment.  The CAP report states that "the Army and Marine Corps have been forced to significantly lower their moral and aptitude standards in order to overcome recruitment shortfalls. Perhaps most troubling is the fact that the military has at the same time granted so-called ‘moral waivers' to thousands of new recruits, including people with felony convictions." [CAP, 6/24/09]

DADT has come at serious financial cost to the military. According to the Center for American Progress, DADT is a very expensive policy for the United States military.  According to the report the policy of dismissing homosexuals from the military, "may have cost the U.S. government up to $1.3 billion since 1980."  The report further explains that, "The GAO found in 2005 that discharging and replacing each service member cost the federal government approximately $10,000..." but "...Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara found that the GAO's methodology did not include several important factors and that the actual number was closer to $37,000 per service member." [CAP,6/24/09]

DADT sends the wrong signal to young people interested in military service - straight or gay.   Korb and his coauthors discuss the effects this policy may have on young people saying, "Perhaps most important, this outmoded policy sends the wrong signal to the young people-straight or gay-that the military is trying to recruit. It tells them that the military is an intolerant place that does not value what they value, namely, diversity, fairness, and equality. What's more, military recruiters face generalized hostility and opposition everywhere from high schools to colleges and law schools over the issue of discrimination against gays." [CAP, 6/24/09]

What We're Reading

North and South Korea accelerated their diplomatic confrontation over the recent sinking of a South Korean warship, with the South saying it would redesignate the North its "archenemy" and North Korea severing almost all of its remaining ties to its far wealthier neighbor.

Preliminary results show Ethiopia's ruling party and its allies won 99.6% of parliamentary seats in Sunday's election, raising serious questions over the country's democratic direction.

Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, urged Barack Obama to accept a nuclear fuel swap deal, warning the U.S. leader will miss a historic opportunity for improved cooperation from Tehran if the offer is rejected.

A car bomb exploded outside a small NATO military base in Kandahar, wounding two Afghans and destroying several cars.

At least 29 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in Jamaica's capital amid an all-out police assault on suspected drug lord Christopher Coke's stronghold.

The Iraqi government has said it will close the state-owned Iraqi Airways after declaring it bankrupt.

Chad's government succeeded Tuesday in forcing a 3,300-strong U.N. peacekeeping force operating in Chad and the Central African Republic to pull out by the end of this year.

The global campaign to harmonize rules for financial firms is swerving off course, threatening efforts to curb the risky bets that rocked the world economy two years ago.

Israel has launched two night-time air strikes on the Gaza Strip which has left an estimated 22 people wounded.

Robbers in Iraq have killed 14 people in an attack on a Baghdad gold market.

Commentary of the Day

Brian Katulis and Nina Hachigian call for embracing the Obama administration's national security strategy.

The New York Times Editorial Board says the forthcoming compromise on ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" will make for a stronger military.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky says corruption, not nuclear weapons, represent the world's most dangerous threat.