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Army to oppose immediate suspension of gay firings
WASHINGTON -- The Army's top uniformed officer said Tuesday that he has "serious concerns" about efforts to overturn a 17-year policy that bans gays from serving openly in the military and supports a yearlong study into the matter before any changes are made.The carefully crafted comments by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey to the Senate Armed Services Committee indicate reluctance by some within the military's senior ranks to President Barack Obama's plan to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." Obama says the policy is wrongheaded and should change. Defense Secretary Robert Gates agrees but wants to move slowly, and has tasked a lengthy assessment on how to lift the ban without affecting the force. Casey's testimony as a service chief is considered crucial to the debate. As the top uniformed officials in each service, a service chief is in charge of recruitment and preparing troops for deployments. If the policy on gays is overturned, the chiefs would have to decide how to implement the changes. "I do have serious concerns about the impact of a repeal of the law on a force that is fully engaged in two wars and has been at war for eight-and-a-half years," Casey told the Senate panel. "We just don't know the impacts on readiness and military effectiveness." As 17 years worth of discharged Gays file lawsuits charging discrimination and damages you will learn more about the 'impacts.' Casey also said he would oppose legislation being considered by Sen. Carl Levin, the committee's chairman, that would force the military to immediately suspend dismissals. Levin says he wants a moratorium on firings under the law until Congress and the Pentagon can agree on how to repeal the law. Among the questions to be answered through broader legislation is whether the military would recognize gay marriages and extend benefits to gay partners. Don't forget joint domicile. Casey and Army Secretary John McHugh said a moratorium on "don't ask, don't tell" would put existing cases in legal limbo and introduce confusion. Barry and Holder will take care of tghe 'legal limbo' with the stroke of a pen. "This process is going to be difficult and complicated enough," Casey told Levin. "Anything that complicates it more, I think I would be opposed." Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the committee, agreed. "It flies in the face of what the defense secretary has committed to," McCain said of Levin's proposed moratorium. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee he thinks the law unfairly forces gay troops to compromise their integrity by lying about who they are. McHugh, a former New York congressman and Republican, said he would support a repeal if that is what the president and Congress decides. "My job is to try to provide" the "best possible information and views from the Army side," he said. "When I first enlisted, homosexuality was illegal. Twenty years into my career no one could talk about it. I'm glad I retired before it became mandatory." -- Anon Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-23 |
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