Secretary of the Army Says He Will Not Pursue ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Discharges
Secretary of the Army Says He Will Not Pursue ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Discharges
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
WASHINGTON — The secretary of the Army, John M. McHugh, said Wednesday that he was effectively ignoring the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law because he had no intention of pursuing discharges of active-duty service members who have recently told him that they are gay.
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A Military Downgrading of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ (March 26, 2010)
Times Topic: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Mr. McHugh, the Army’s civilian leader and a former Republican congressman from upstate New York, said that he had initiated the conversations with service members in recent months as part of the Pentagon’s review of how best to carry out a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, which requires that gay service members keep their sexual orientation secret or face discharge.
President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have all called on Congress to repeal the 17-year-old law and allow gay service members to serve openly.
Although Mr. Gates announced revised standards last week that make it harder for the military to discharge service members whose sexual orientation is revealed by third parties, gay men and lesbians who willingly reveal their sexual orientation still face ouster from the military, at least as the law is written.
But Mr. McHugh, who spoke at a breakfast with Pentagon reporters, said it made no sense to pursue discharges of service members as he speaks with them about the change in policy. Mr. Obama, Mr. Gates and Admiral Mullen have all asked commanders to assess opinion within the military about the change in law.
Mr. McHugh said it would be “counterproductive” to “take disciplinary action against someone who spoke with me openly and honestly.” He said the Pentagon was still trying to devise a way to more formally poll large numbers of service members about their views on changing the law.
At the same breakfast, Mr. McHugh also said that a three-star general who was criticized by the Pentagon leadership last week for speaking out against repeal of the law would not receive a letter of reprimand. Instead, Mr. McHugh said the officer, Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, had had numerous conversations with Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, and now recognized that his comments were “inappropriate.”
General Mixon, the commander of Army forces in the Pacific, wrote a letter published on March 8 in Stars and Stripes that urged those who support the current policy to write to their elected officials and lobby the leaders of their units.
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
WASHINGTON — The secretary of the Army, John M. McHugh, said Wednesday that he was effectively ignoring the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law because he had no intention of pursuing discharges of active-duty service members who have recently told him that they are gay.
Related
A Military Downgrading of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ (March 26, 2010)
Times Topic: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Mr. McHugh, the Army’s civilian leader and a former Republican congressman from upstate New York, said that he had initiated the conversations with service members in recent months as part of the Pentagon’s review of how best to carry out a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, which requires that gay service members keep their sexual orientation secret or face discharge.
President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have all called on Congress to repeal the 17-year-old law and allow gay service members to serve openly.
Although Mr. Gates announced revised standards last week that make it harder for the military to discharge service members whose sexual orientation is revealed by third parties, gay men and lesbians who willingly reveal their sexual orientation still face ouster from the military, at least as the law is written.
But Mr. McHugh, who spoke at a breakfast with Pentagon reporters, said it made no sense to pursue discharges of service members as he speaks with them about the change in policy. Mr. Obama, Mr. Gates and Admiral Mullen have all asked commanders to assess opinion within the military about the change in law.
Mr. McHugh said it would be “counterproductive” to “take disciplinary action against someone who spoke with me openly and honestly.” He said the Pentagon was still trying to devise a way to more formally poll large numbers of service members about their views on changing the law.
At the same breakfast, Mr. McHugh also said that a three-star general who was criticized by the Pentagon leadership last week for speaking out against repeal of the law would not receive a letter of reprimand. Instead, Mr. McHugh said the officer, Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, had had numerous conversations with Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, and now recognized that his comments were “inappropriate.”
General Mixon, the commander of Army forces in the Pacific, wrote a letter published on March 8 in Stars and Stripes that urged those who support the current policy to write to their elected officials and lobby the leaders of their units.
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