[JURIST] US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced on Tuesday the creation of a panel to prepare the Department of Defense (DOD) for the repeal of the US military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. In a hearing before the US Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Gates said that the group will review the potential impact of the repeal in order to produce a plan for implementation by the end of 2010. Gates expressed his support for US President Barack Obama, who last week called for Congress to repeal the policy during his State of the Union Address, but stressed the need for a deliberate process due to the sensitivity of the issue and the military’s current involvement in two wars. Gates said:
I fully support the President’s decision. The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how we best prepare for it. … I am mindful of the fact, as are you, that unlike the last time this issue was considered by the Congress more than 15 years ago, our military is engaged in two wars that have put troops and their families under considerable stress and strain.Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, named DOD general counsel Jeh Johnson and the commander of US Army Europe Gen. Carter Ham as the panel’s co-chairs. The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has been an important issue for Obama since he took office, and its inclusion in the State of Union Address makes it clear that it remains a priority for the administration. Last month, Mullen’s legal advisers suggested that he delay any internal efforts to repeal the policy until 2011. In October, Obama pledged to end the controversial policy. After the US Supreme Court denied certiorari to review the policy in June, the SASC announced that it would hold hearings to review it. In 2008, more than 100 retired admirals and generals of the US military called for a repeal of the policy.