Pentagon certifies repeal of DADT; open service to begin Sept. 20
The military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy will end 60 days after President Barack Obama signs the Pentagon’s certification that America’s troops are ready to embracer open service.
Obama met today in the White House with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, to kick off the final step of the repeal process.
The president is expected to sign the official certification immediately and send it to Congress, which voted to repeal the policy on Dec. 22, 2010.
DADT was established in 1993 during the Clinton administration and has resulted in more than 14,500 discharges of gay and lesbian servicemembers, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). The financial impact of the policy is difficult to quantify, but a 2006 study concluded that the figure would be $363 million.