COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Leaving Military: General
DON'TASK DON'T TELL COSTS MILLIONS
Author Unknown, military.com
February 14, 2006
WASHINGTON - Discharging troops under the Pentagon's policy on gayscost $363.8 million over 10 years, almost double what the government
concluded a year ago, a private report says.
The report, to be released Tuesday by a University of California
Blue Ribbon Commission, questioned the methodology the Government
Accountability Office used when it estimated that the financial
impact of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was at least $190.5
million.
"It builds on the previous findings and paints a more complete
picture of the costs," said Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., who has
proposed Legislation that would repeal the policy.
Congress approved the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in 1993 during
the Clinton administration. It allows gays and lesbians to serve in
the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps as long as they abstain
from homosexual activity and do not disclose their sexual
orientation.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which has represented
service members who left the military under the policy, estimates
the Pentagon has discharged more than 10,000 service members for
homosexuality since "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" went into effect in
1994. The number of discharges has gone down in recent years.
In February 2005, the GAO said the financial impact could not be
completely estimated because the government does not collect
financial information specific to each individual's case.
Cautioning that the figures may be too low, the GAO said the federal
government spent at least $95.4 million to recruit and $95.1 million
to train replacements from 1994 through 2003 for the 9,488 troops
discharged during that period because of the policy.
The university study said the GAO erred by emphasizing the expense
of replacing those who were discharged because of the policy without
taking into account the value the military lost from the departures.
So, the commission focused on the estimated value the military lost
from each person discharged. The report detailed costs of $79.3
million for recruiting enlisted service members, $252.4 million for
training them, $17.8 million for training officers and $14.3 million
for "separation travel" once a service member is discharged.
Commission members include former Defense Secretary William Perry, a
member of the Clinton administration, and Lawrence Korb, a former
assistant defense secretary during the Reagan administration, as
well as professors from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Author Unknown, military.com
February 14, 2006
WASHINGTON - Discharging troops under the Pentagon's policy on gayscost $363.8 million over 10 years, almost double what the government
concluded a year ago, a private report says.
The report, to be released Tuesday by a University of California
Blue Ribbon Commission, questioned the methodology the Government
Accountability Office used when it estimated that the financial
impact of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was at least $190.5
million.
"It builds on the previous findings and paints a more complete
picture of the costs," said Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., who has
proposed Legislation that would repeal the policy.
Congress approved the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in 1993 during
the Clinton administration. It allows gays and lesbians to serve in
the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps as long as they abstain
from homosexual activity and do not disclose their sexual
orientation.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which has represented
service members who left the military under the policy, estimates
the Pentagon has discharged more than 10,000 service members for
homosexuality since "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" went into effect in
1994. The number of discharges has gone down in recent years.
In February 2005, the GAO said the financial impact could not be
completely estimated because the government does not collect
financial information specific to each individual's case.
Cautioning that the figures may be too low, the GAO said the federal
government spent at least $95.4 million to recruit and $95.1 million
to train replacements from 1994 through 2003 for the 9,488 troops
discharged during that period because of the policy.
The university study said the GAO erred by emphasizing the expense
of replacing those who were discharged because of the policy without
taking into account the value the military lost from the departures.
So, the commission focused on the estimated value the military lost
from each person discharged. The report detailed costs of $79.3
million for recruiting enlisted service members, $252.4 million for
training them, $17.8 million for training officers and $14.3 million
for "separation travel" once a service member is discharged.
Commission members include former Defense Secretary William Perry, a
member of the Clinton administration, and Lawrence Korb, a former
assistant defense secretary during the Reagan administration, as
well as professors from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Author Unknown, military.com
February 14, 2006
WASHINGTON - Discharging troops under the Pentagon's policy on gayscost $363.8 million over 10 years, almost double what the government
concluded a year ago, a private report says.
The report, to be released Tuesday by a University of California
Blue Ribbon Commission, questioned the methodology the Government
Accountability Office used when it estimated that the financial
impact of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was at least $190.5
million.
"It builds on the previous findings and paints a more complete
picture of the costs," said Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., who has
proposed Legislation that would repeal the policy.
Congress approved the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in 1993 during
the Clinton administration. It allows gays and lesbians to serve in
the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps as long as they abstain
from homosexual activity and do not disclose their sexual
orientation.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which has represented
service members who left the military under the policy, estimates
the Pentagon has discharged more than 10,000 service members for
homosexuality since "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" went into effect in
1994. The number of discharges has gone down in recent years.
In February 2005, the GAO said the financial impact could not be
completely estimated because the government does not collect
financial information specific to each individual's case.
Cautioning that the figures may be too low, the GAO said the federal
government spent at least $95.4 million to recruit and $95.1 million
to train replacements from 1994 through 2003 for the 9,488 troops
discharged during that period because of the policy.
The university study said the GAO erred by emphasizing the expense
of replacing those who were discharged because of the policy without
taking into account the value the military lost from the departures.
So, the commission focused on the estimated value the military lost
from each person discharged. The report detailed costs of $79.3
million for recruiting enlisted service members, $252.4 million for
training them, $17.8 million for training officers and $14.3 million
for "separation travel" once a service member is discharged.
Commission members include former Defense Secretary William Perry, a
member of the Clinton administration, and Lawrence Korb, a former
assistant defense secretary during the Reagan administration, as
well as professors from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Author Unknown, military.com
February 14, 2006
WASHINGTON - Discharging troops under the Pentagon's policy on gayscost $363.8 million over 10 years, almost double what the government
concluded a year ago, a private report says.
The report, to be released Tuesday by a University of California
Blue Ribbon Commission, questioned the methodology the Government
Accountability Office used when it estimated that the financial
impact of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was at least $190.5
million.
"It builds on the previous findings and paints a more complete
picture of the costs," said Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., who has
proposed Legislation that would repeal the policy.
Congress approved the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in 1993 during
the Clinton administration. It allows gays and lesbians to serve in
the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps as long as they abstain
from homosexual activity and do not disclose their sexual
orientation.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which has represented
service members who left the military under the policy, estimates
the Pentagon has discharged more than 10,000 service members for
homosexuality since "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" went into effect in
1994. The number of discharges has gone down in recent years.
In February 2005, the GAO said the financial impact could not be
completely estimated because the government does not collect
financial information specific to each individual's case.
Cautioning that the figures may be too low, the GAO said the federal
government spent at least $95.4 million to recruit and $95.1 million
to train replacements from 1994 through 2003 for the 9,488 troops
discharged during that period because of the policy.
The university study said the GAO erred by emphasizing the expense
of replacing those who were discharged because of the policy without
taking into account the value the military lost from the departures.
So, the commission focused on the estimated value the military lost
from each person discharged. The report detailed costs of $79.3
million for recruiting enlisted service members, $252.4 million for
training them, $17.8 million for training officers and $14.3 million
for "separation travel" once a service member is discharged.
Commission members include former Defense Secretary William Perry, a
member of the Clinton administration, and Lawrence Korb, a former
assistant defense secretary during the Reagan administration, as
well as professors from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
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