Gates To Announce DADT Changes

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is reportedly about to announce some changes in the way the DOD enforces Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

“I think he is prepared to offer a way ahead on that subject this week,” Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Tuesday. Gates will address “the changes that he is going to be making to the department's policy to provide for a more humane enforcement and application of the law,” Morrell said. Gates directed the Pentagon’s legal counsel in February to explore ways to relax enforcement of the law commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Gates in June indicated that Pentagon lawyers were researching whether military officials can ignore the policy in cases where members of the military are “outed” against their will. “Does that force us to take an action?” he asked at the time. “I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t want to pretend to. But that is the kind of thing we are looking at.” Gates said in February he believed there is “at least a more humane way to comply with the law until the law gets changed.”

Gates has said he supports the repeal of DADT.