The US army chief of staff today said he would consult generals from Britain and Canada about gay men and lesbians serving in the military, adding that armies ending discrimination had experienced no detriment to their battle readiness.
But General George Casey and army secretary John McHugh said they opposed an effort to stop openly gay soldiers being discharged while the Pentagon takes a year to study the repeal of a policy barring them from serving.
Their testimony in the Senate today dashed the hopes of gay soldiers and others that Congress will pass a moratorium on discharges while military brass review personnel policies over the next year.
Barack Obama and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, oppose the Clinton-era policy that allows gay people to serve in the military so long as they keep their sexuality hidden. Since 1994 more than 13,500 gay people have been discharged under the policy, one of the last instances of official discrimination in the US.
Opponents of the policy say it keeps patriotic men and women out of the military while the US is fighting two wars. In Afghanistan, US troops serve alongside British units that include openly gay soldiers, and US generals have said they have seen no problems.
The remarks came today as Congress considered inserting a moratorium on discharges into the US defence budget for next year. Casey said that would in effect implement a policy while military leaders are still studying how best to do so.
A separate study released today of 25 countries that allow openly gay people to serve in the military found rapid implementation is key to success, a position that contradicts the call by US military brass for an extensive review period. The University of California study found that in Australia, Britain, Canada, South Africa and elsewhere, having gay people serve openly did not degrade troop morale, recruitment and retention or otherwise negatively affect military readiness.
