Senator John McCain Continues To Fight Against Repeal Of Military Ban On Openly Gay Personal; Defense Secretary Robert Gates Responds Reminding Senate Committee That While Opinions Of Military Matter They Are Meant To Follow Orders

Arizona Senator John McCain, choosing to conveniently ignore conventional wisdom , continues to insist that the repeal of the American military policy prohibiting openly gay service members would prove problematic, the New York Times reporting that the Republican, speaking at a Senate committee Wednesday, now cites the results of a just released Pentagon survey that indicate 58-percent of active duty Marine respondents and 47-percent of active duty Army respondents think that the repeal would have either a negative or very negative impact on unit cohesion. “I remain concerned, as I have in the past, and as demonstrated in this study, that the closer we get to service members in combat, the more we encounter concerns about whether ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ should be repealed. These views should not be considered lightly, especially considering how much combat our forces face," McCain said. McCain asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates if he were concerned that supposedly so many combat troops were concerned about a repeal, Gates answered that the majority of those respondents are in their early 20’s and that most, having limited experience in the military, have also never served alongside women, adding that “With time and adequate preparation, we can mitigate their concerns.” McCain responded “I couldn’t disagree more. We send these young people into combat, we think they’re mature enough to fight and die. I think they’re mature enough to make a judgment on who they want to serve with and the impact on their battle effectiveness.” McCain, a naval aviator in the Vietnam War who was shot down and imprisoned in Hanoi, added “Mr. Secretary, I speak from personal experience.” Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, also addressed the Senate committee, and said “I’ve been serving with gays and lesbians my whole career,” he said. “I went to war with them aboard a destroyer off the coast of Vietnam. I knew they were there. They knew I knew it. We never missed a mission, never failed to deliver ordnance on target.” Both Gates and Mullen underlined that the Senate needs to vote on a repeal quickly because delay would result in a continuation of lawsuits and the potential for the repeal to to be ordered by what Gates deemed “judicial fiat,” meaning that the military would have little to no time to prepare for the change, Gates adding “Those that choose not to act legislatively are rolling the dice that this policy will not be abruptly overturned by the courts.” Defense Secretary Gates also reminded the committee that although the opinion of military remained important, it did not get a vote, and that the civilian-led military relies on being able to take direction, following orders.