Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Abstract

On March 2, 2010, the Secretary of Defense appointed the two of us to co-chair a working group to undertake a comprehensive review of the impacts of repeal, should it occur, of Section 654 of Title 10 of the United States Code, commonly known as the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. In this effort, we were aided by a highly dedicated team of 49 military and 19 civilian personnel from across the Department of Defense and the Military Services. Our assignment from the Secretary was two-fold: 1) assess the impact of repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell on military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting, retention, and family readiness; and 2) recommend appropriate changes, if necessary, to existing regulations, policies, and guidance in the event of repeal. The Secretary directed us to deliver our assessment and recommendations to him by December 1, 2010. This document constitutes our report of that assessment and our recommendations. The Secretary also directed us to develop a plan of action to support implementation of a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. That plan accompanies this report. At the outset, it is important to note the environment in which we conducted our work: the Nation's military has been at war on several fronts for over 9 years. Much is being demanded from the force. The men and women in uniform who risk their lives to defend our Nation are, along with their families, stretched and stressed, and have faced years of multiple and lengthy deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Some question the wisdom of taking on the emotional and difficult issue of Don't Ask, Don't Tell on top of all else. For these and other reasons, the Secretary directed that we "thoroughly, objectively and methodically examine all aspects of this question," and include, most importantly, the views of our men and women in uniform.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 30, 2010
Accession Number
ADA533004

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Congress
  • Employment
  • Families (Human)
  • Health Services
  • Management Personnel
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Military Separation
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Students
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Systems Analysis and Design