The Pentagon’s Comprehensive Review Working Group that studied the impact of repealing the “don’t ask-don’t tell” policy received more than 115,000 responses from service members and more than 44,000 responses from military spouses, Army Gen. Carter Ham, working group co-chair, told reporters Tuesday in the Pentagon. Members of the group conducted 95 face-to-face meetings with more than 24,000 service members and hosted 140 demographically selected focus groups, such as those with troops serving in combat arms career fields or special operations, he said. All of the service academies participated in the review in addition to a completely confidential poll of homosexual service members. Of those respondents, more than two-thirds did not object to gays and lesbians serving openly, said Defense Secretary Robert Gates during a separate Pentagon briefing Tuesday. However, 40 percent to 60 percent of those troops in predominantly male combat specialties predicted negative consequences for unit cohesion, he said. “The concerns of combat troops as expressed in the survey do not present an insurmountable barrier to successful repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,'” said Gates. He added, “However, these findings do lead me to conclude that an abundance of care and preparation is required if we are to avoid a disruptive and potentially dangerous impact on the performance of those serving at the tip of the spear in America’s wars.”
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
