The study commissioned by the Department of Defense on 'How, not If' to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell is apparently finished. According to an anonymous source who has 'read the entire report'
The document totals about 370 pages and is divided into two sections. The first section explores whether repealing "don't ask, don't tell" would harm unit readiness or morale. It cites the findings of a survey sent over the summer to 400,000 active-duty and reserve troops, a separate questionnaire sent to about 150,000 military spouses, the responses submitted to an anonymous online dropbox seeking comments, and responses from focus-group participants.
The second part of the report presents a plan for ending enforcement of the ban. It is not meant to serve as the military's official instruction manual on the issue but could be used if military leaders agreed, one of the sources said.
In their just-published article in the Washington Post, reporters Ed O'Keefe and Greg Jaffe provide more information from various anonymous sources about what is in the report.
A couple of the most promising tidbits are:
A Pentagon study group has concluded that the military can lift the ban on gays serving openly in uniform with only minimal and isolated incidents of risk to the current war efforts...
and
More than 70 percent of respondents to a survey sent to active-duty and reserve troops over the summer said the effect of repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy would be positive, mixed or nonexistent
According to the source the document weighs in at 370 pounds pages and is divided into two parts:
The first section explores whether repealing "don't ask, don't tell" would harm unit readiness or morale...
The second part of the report presents a plan for ending enforcement of the ban.
No word on how long it will take for this plan to take effect. (After all, it's extremely difficult to order your minions NOT to investigate, harrass, and then throw people out; that obviously takes discipline above and beyond the ability of the average military higher-up).
General Amos, the Marine commandant who is not, shall we say, pleased one bit at the prospect of Don't Ask, Don't Tell being repealed, is quoted detailing why repeal would be 'risky for Marines':
"There is nothing more intimate than young men and young women - and when you talk of infantry, we're talking about our young men - lying out, sleeping alongside of one another and sharing death, fear and loss of brothers. I don't know what the effect of that will be on cohesion."
And no, I'm not making that up. The commander of some of the meanest, toughest and most professional sonovabitches in the entire world is worried about them sleeping alongside of one another.
As most people who have thought about repeal expected, the Defense of Marriage Act rears its ugly head:
The report recommends few, if any, changes to policy covering military housing and benefits, because the military must abide by the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which does not recognize same-sex marriage.
Therefore even if Don't Ask, Don't Tell is repealed and soldiers are equal in the eyes of their comrades, they still won't be equal in law or entitled to the same benefits as those they serve with (nor will they be equal in the eyes of Congress the bunch of aged bigots who refuse to repeal DOMA).
And now the subject that you've all been waiting with bated breath to hear about: the critical issue, the one that sends shivers up and down homophobic spines all across this great nation of ours: SHOWERS. Yes, the report takes on the dreaded Pirate Roberts topic of SHOWERING:
Objections by troops who do not want to room or shower with openly gay troops should be handled on a case-by-case basis by commanders and should be scrutinized, the source said.
Which leaves open the obvious question: by whom should these objectors be scrutinized by; will they be scrutinized while they themselves are showering; and if so, what will be revealed?