Military Officer - October 2008 - (Page 70) DADT Under Review ment that the Pentagon is not advocating any change to the law. The following are representative excerpts from that hearing. ON JULY 2 3, the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee held a hearing on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) law enacted in 1993 that allows service by gays and lesbians only if they do not identify themselves as such. The purpose of the hearing was to receive input from witnesses on both sides of the question as to whether it’s time for the law to be changed. bers with critical skills … including much-needed [Arabic] language expertise … when [we’re] trying to reduce the strain on our military by growing the force.” —Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.) “While some will argue that much has changed since 1993 … one thing has not. The question of whether the law is to be changed should ultimately rest on the matters of military readiness, morale, good order, and discipline.” —Rep. John M. McHugh (R-N.Y.) “It is bewildering … that … no matter how well a person does his or her job, no matter how integral … to their unit, they must be … disrespected and dismissed because of who they happen to be, or who they happen to love.” —Maj. Gen. Vance Coleman, USA-Ret. “To say that you can’t ask questions is like telling a bartender that you cannot serve liquor to people who are underage, but you cannot ask them for ID.” —Elaine Donnelly “The military … excels in blending people together from different Witnesses in favor of repeal (allowing service by openly gay and lesbian personnel) were Maj. Gen. Vance Coleman, USA-Ret., former artillery officer and division commander; Capt. Joan Darrah, USN-Ret., former naval intelligence officer; and Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, USMC-Ret., a veteran wounded in Iraq. Witnesses in favor of continuing the existing law or changing it to ban any military service by gay or lesbian personnel were Elaine Donnelly, president, Center for Military Readiness, and Sgt. Maj. Brian Jones, USARet., former special operations NCO and current businessperson. Defense officials were invited to testify but declined, offering a state70 MILITARY OFFICER OCTOBER 2008 “ In 1993, the House and Senate concluded, and I want to quote: ‘The presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order, and discipline and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.’ —Rep. John M. McHugh (R-N.Y.) “[The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell] policy causes the loss of servicemem- ”
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