Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told the Senate Armed Services Committee Dec. 3 that the law that bars homosexuals from service should be repealed, but not now, while the armed forces are trying to fight and win a war. Shelving the so-called "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy would place too onerous a burden on "a force and leaders that are already stretched by the cumulative effects of almost a decade of war," Casey told the Senate panel. When the time is right, Casey said, the change could be implemented "with moderate risk to our military effectiveness in the short term, and moderate risk to our ability to recruit and retain this all-volunteer force over the long haul," Casey said. Under "don’t ask, don’t tell," service members can still be discharged for homosexual conduct. But they are allowed to keep their private lives confidential on official forms.
