December 22, 2010

DADT Experts: Pentagon Delay On Open Gay Service Unnecessary

A McClatchy story today reports that “don’t ask, don’t tell” advocates say that the Pentagon can implement “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal in a matter of weeks, rather than taking a number of months to train the troops, as key Pentagon officials have urged.

According to a new study by the Palm Center, quoted in the article: “”If leaders set clear deadlines and monitor progress, training can be accomplished quickly… Whatever preparations are ultimately deemed necessary, the Pentagon ought to be able to pull them off faster than it did the implementation of DADT in 1994, which took approximately 40 days.”

The report concludes by outlining three key steps for fully implementing “dont ask, don’t tell” repeal and allowing open gay service: “In invoking their certification rights, the president, secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should keep in mind that the support plan is complete; the Pentagon is presumably at least three weeks into the pre-repeal phase; and leadership, professionalism and respect (the key implementation message as per the support plan) are not new competencies for the U.S. military.”

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