Modbert
Daydream Believer
- Sep 2, 2008
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Pentagon study dismisses risk of openly gay troops - Yahoo! News
This doesn't come as a big surprise to say the least.
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Pentagon reporters on Tuesday that existing policies such as housing and spousal benefits for military service members "can and should be applied equally to homosexuals as well as heterosexuals."
Gates says he does not expect the Pentagon would have to rethink those policies to accommodate gays if they are allowed to serve openly in the military.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pentagon study on gays in the military has determined that overturning the law known as "don't ask, don't tell" might cause some disruption at first but would not create any widespread or long-lasting problems.
The study found that 70 percent of troops surveyed believed that repealing the law would have mixed, positive or no effect, while 30 percent predicted negative consequences. Opposition was strongest among combat troops, with at least 40 percent saying it was a bad idea. That number climbs to 58 percent among Marines serving in combat roles.
The study also draws a strong correlation between troops who have worked with a gay service member and those who support repeal. According to the assessment, 92 percent of troops who have served with someone they believed to be gay thought that their unit's ability to work together was either very good, good, or neither good nor poor.
This doesn't come as a big surprise to say the least.