Pentagon To Weigh Benefits Of Lifting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

By Monique Cala- University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced Tuesday during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Pentagon is preparing to repeal 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ by launching a 45 day study on the effects of lifting the controversial measure that has banned gays from serving openly in the military.

“We have received our orders from the Commander in Chief and we are moving out accordingly,” said Gates. “However, we can only take this process so far, as the ultimate decision rests with you, the Congress.”

Admiral Michael Mullen announced his support for the president's call to repeal the measure.

“It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. We have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are, in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me personally, it comes down to integrity. Theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.”

Mullen said he will give the president “the best military advice” on how to implement the repeal.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) presented the committee with a list of over a thousand signatures of former military officers opposing the lift of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.'

“This would be a substantial and controversial change to a policy that has been successful for two decades,” said McCain. “It would also present yet, another challenge to our military at a time of already tremendous stress and strain.”

Both Mullen and Gates agreed that the 45 day study will help repeal 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' without negatively affecting those who are already deployed.

“We believe that any implementation plan for a policy permitting gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces must be carefully derived, sufficiently thorough, and thoughtfully executed,” said Mullen.

Alabama Senators Want Equal Playing Field For Aerospace Contract

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

At a press conference Tuesday, delegates from Alabama led by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said they are disappointed with the Pentagon and U.S. Air Force's Request For Proposal (RFP) for a next-generation aerial refueling tanker, the KC-X, arguing that the RFP is biased towards the manufacturer Boeing.

Also bidding for the KC-X is defense contractor Northrop Grumman, which if chosen by the Pentagon to carry out the project, plans to build a new assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama.

Rep. Jo Bonner, (R-Ala.), whose Congressional district includes Mobile, says the new plant would create nearly 48,000 new jobs in his state.

“We look forward to build the world’s best tanker...but that's only if the Department of Defense is serious about giving us a fair shot and fair competition,” Bonner said.

Yesterday, every delegate from Alabama signed a letter that was sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates requesting a new draft of the proposal. The letter argues that the RFP lacks an “assessment of risk associated with either schedule, past performance or price.”

The letter also states that the some of the RFP’s new requirements for the tanker could be satisfied by the KC-135 refueling tanker, which was designed over 50 years ago.

In February 2008, the U.S. Air Force chose Northrop Grumman’s bid for the KC-X project, but later that year the Department of Defense halted the project.

"This new request for proposal has changed...in so many ways. And in just about all those ways, it is tilting the process towards Boeing,” said Shelby.

The George C. Marshall Foundation Honors Defense Secretary Robert Gates

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was honored with the George C. Marshall Foundation Award today, on the 50th anniversary of Marshall’s death. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gates both delivered remarks at the luncheon remembering Marshall's legacy.

“He has a humility and an aptitude for quiet but strong leadership, he has a devotion to the men and women of the United States military and he is a public servant with a Marshall view of the world," Clinton said of Gates.

“Thanks to George Marshall’s leadership ... the Marshall plan was as bold and visionary a demonstration of American leadership as any in our history,” said Clinton. “There didn’t seem to be a challenge that he ever faced that he couldn’t determine a way forward,” she added.

During his career, Marshall held both positions currently occupied by Secretaries Gates and Clinton. Marshall also served as U.S. Army Chief from 1939 through WWII.

“Receiving this award is a true honor. The placement of my name anywhere near that of George Marshall is incredibly humbling,” said Gates.

Robert Gates was named Secretary of Defense in December 2006. He was appointed then by President George W. Bush and was renominated earlier this year by current President Barack Obama.

Gates to wounded warriors: I thank you from the bottom of my heart

Secretary of Defense Robert M.Gates, speaking at a summit held at the Pentagon for wounded warriors and their families, said he wanted to reflect on an event a few months ago when Frank Buckles, a 107-year-old veteran, was present at a ceremony when a new exhibit was opened. Upon discharge from the military after World War I, Frank Buckles got “sixty bucks and a free pass to the Y[MCA],” as his severance.

To our wounded warriors, Gates said, I’ve been amazed by your grit and resilience. Part of my duties was to visit Walter Reed and other hospitals and I wasn’t sure I could keep it together and if I could handle it, to see the wounded. But I found instead that they lift me up, he said. Gates became emotional, his voice wavering, and looked solemn as he sniffled a bit and looked out at the audience. I will repeat the pledge I made to myself and everyone, he said, that other than winning the wars we are in, my highest priority is caring for those who are wounded.

Gates said they are now converting the disability rating process so that one service member has one exam, and one rating which will be shared between the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Veterans Administration (VA). Working together, the DOD and VA can cut in half the time required to get to the disability payment process completed through the VA.

Many have returned bearing the scars of war, and some of those wounds are not readily apparent, Gates continued. In Iraq and Afghanistan, improvement in techniques and medical care has made it possible to survive an injury that many used to not be able to live through. This, however, has made evident how much we do not know about Traumatic Brain Injuries. We are poised to learn a lot more. We’ve also gone a long way to deal with the psychological effects of what has turned out to be a very long war.

As we all know, Gates said, not everyone returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is getting the mental health care they need. Too often people have avoided help because they were afraid of it affecting their security clearance or even their jobs. They are trying to remove the stigma by keeping counseling not part of the evaluation process, so that having it not affect their jobs is hopefully going to make it more likely to have men and women in uniform seek help.

Although we’ve made significant progress in the last year there is no doubt we still have a lot of work to do. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Gates concluded, and his remarks were received with a round of applause.

United States has unwavering commitment to the safety of South Korea

The North Korean threat continues to be in our defense posture, said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the joint briefing with Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Lee Song-hee held at the Pentagon. A conducive effort in our defensive posturing to the security of the South Korean’s is alive and well, said Gates, and the six party talk process is binding our two countries together. Gates thanked the Korean people for their effort in helping the United States eradicate militants in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Through an interpreter, Lee said that the 40 year anniversary of the Status of Forces Agreement is still considered a central foundation of their commitment to the defense of the Korean peninsula. The reaffirmation of this agreement sets a tone for the United States’ unwavering commitment to the safety of South Korea, said Lee. According to Lee, the conclusion by high ranking military officers during a meeting with himself and the Secretary of Defense, the Korean Peninsula is very well protected.

The health of Kim Jong-il is still a variable that is being closely watched by the leaders of both countries. Kim Jong-il is believed to still be in control of North Korea even though he has not been seen in public in some time. The unknown element of Jong-il’s health has brought an even greater understanding between the countries: the US and South Korea must coordinate and manage their combined forces in a much more stable manner.