Army resists immediate end to gay ban

Personnel issues dominated the Senate Armed Services Committee's review of the Army fiscal 2011 budget on Tuesday, with senators focusing on possible increases in troop levels and the likely repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military.

Senators also had questions about plans to leave equipment in Iraq when U.S. forces withdraw and about when the services will need the $33 billion supplemental funding for Iraq and Afghanistan that President Obama has requested for this fiscal year.

On the supplemental, Army Secretary John McHugh said budget officials tell him they must have the additional funds around July 1.

McHugh added that, despite the commitment by Congress and the administration to eliminate the unbudgeted funding, the services will need supplemental appropriations as long as they are engaged in these conflicts.

Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, repeated his concern about the need to "reset" Army equipment worn out or lost in the two conflicts. He said most of the 3 million pieces of equipment now in Iraq would be brought back, but about $500 million worth of it would be left for the Iraqi military.

Asked if Congress should make permanent a temporary increase of 22,000 soldiers over the current authorized level of 547,000, Casey said he was not sure they would need the additional troops and expressed concern that the expense would hurt other serious needs.

During questioning about the current policy barring openly gay soldiers from serving in the military, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., noted that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has initiated a study of the impact of a repeal and asked if the Army leaders would object to a moratorium on discharging known homosexual service members until it is completed.

McHugh and Casey recommended against that. A moratorium would complicate handling of cases before federal courts, McHugh said.

"My personal preference is we would not enact a moratorium," the secretary said. But he added, "if Congress would pass and the president sign it, we would respect that."

Casey was even stronger in resisting Levin's proposal, arguing that it would put the Army in a position of implementing repeal of the ban while studying the impact."This process will be difficult and challenging. That would make it more difficult," Casey said.

Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member John McCain, R-Ariz., objected to effectively changing the policy before any decision was made based on the study Obama ordered. McCain also opposed "changing a policy that is working."

Pressed by Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who plans to introduce legislation to repeal the ban, Casey said, "I do have serious concerns about the impact on our force that has been engaged in war for eight years."

Questioned by other members, Casey said he had not talked to British or Canadian generals about the effect on their services of allowing gays to serve openly but admitted he had heard nothing about any negative effect on their combat readiness.