Military Chiefs Oppose DADT Compromise; Mullen Supports

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Several military service chiefs have written to Congress to lay out their opposition to the new compromise on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

The chiefs, of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army, have opposed DADT repeal in the past. In their new, separate letters they wrote that the deal, which would repeal the law now but allow the Pentagon to implement repeal after they complete a policy review, undermines the policy.

To pass repeal before the review is done, wrote Air Force chief Norton Schwartz, “would be presumptive and would reflect an intent to act before all relevant factors are assessed digested and understood.”

G. Roughead, chief of naval operations, wrote that such a move would cause “confusion” among sailors and would “disrupt the review process itself by leading Sailors to question whether their input matters.”

George Casey of the Army and James Conway of the Marine Corps also voiced their disapproval. They sent their letters to Sen. John McCain and Rep. Buck McKeon, the ranking members of the armed services committees.

Both McCain and McKeon are circulating the letters as backup for their opposition to the deal.

But the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, reportedly supports the compromise. His spokesman, Capt. John Kirby, told Stars and Stripes that Mullen “supports the position articulated in the OMB letter.”

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget wrote a letter earlier this week expressing support for the compromise.

Mullen also spoke at the Air Force Academy’s commencement today. He didn’t address DADT directly but he encouraged graduates to support a changing military.

Latest News
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: