Gates: Military can Implement DADT Repeal
The New York Times reports:
OTTAWA — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said that the military could be ready this year to carry out the repeal of a ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the armed forces, and that he has accelerated efforts to revise training and regulations.
“We don’t know how long it’ll take to train the entire force, but I’m confident we can get it done this year, and we’re shooting to get it done sooner rather than later,” Mr. Gates said late Wednesday as he flew to Ottawa for meetings with his Canadian counterpart. “We will move as fast as we responsibly can.”
Pentagon officials said Thursday that they had nearly finished revising Department of Defense rules on personnel, recruiting and housing and were close to completing plans for the training of commanders and the rank and file.
Mr. Gates said the overall plan “involves several phases: rewriting the regulations, putting together the content of the training, and then ‘tiering’ of the training.” He added, “And the front end of that I’ve asked to be accelerated to get done as quickly as possible.”
Pentagon officials said the defense secretary’s reference to a “tiering” of training referred to different levels of preparation to allow gay and bisexual troops to serve openly: one for senior administrative officials and personnel officers who need a deep understanding of what is permitted or not under the new regulations, another for commanders who will have to carry out the changes in their units and a third for all personnel.
