Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Armed Services Committee chairman, last week wrote Defense Secretary Bob Gates, asking him to clarify the intent of a working group reviewing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). Levin asked if it was “to determine ‘whether’ to repeal the statute or is it to assess the issues related to ‘how’ to implement a repeal?” In his May 6 reply, Gates recalled his Feb.2 testimony in which he said, “The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change but how we … best prepare for it.” He wrote that the review effort “is charged with assessing the impact of repealing 10 USC 654 and developing a plan to implement such a repeal in the most informed and effective manner possible.” He continued, writing that the outcome was meant “to fully inform both Presidential and Congressional decision-making.” (Levin letter; Gates’ response)
Unit commanders are being told to separate service members who can’t shave their cheeks and chin for medical reasons for more than a year, according to new guidance from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
