Former Assistant Secretary of Defense under Reagan, Lawrence J. Korb, testified before the House Committee on Armed Services and said Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell must be repealed. He notes that qualified, trained and committed individuals are let go while the standard for recruits is being lowered, placing the readiness of forces already stretched thin, at risk.

In his recommendations to expand and rebuild ground forces, Korb spoke against lowering recruitment standards, urged an emphasis on peacekeeping and fiscal responsibility, and called for an end to discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation.

“The Army and Marine Corps cannot afford to place unnecessary obstacles in the way of qualified men and women who want to serve,” he said. “Over the past 10 years more than 10,000 personnel have been discharged as a result of [‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’], including 800 with skills deemed ‘mission critical,’ such as pilots, combat engineers, and linguists. These are the very job functions for which the military has experienced personnel shortfalls.

…”Second,” Korb continued, “all military occupations should be open to whoever qualifies, regardless of gender. Currently, the Army and Marines prohibit women from serving in infantry, field artillery, and Special Forces units that directly engage the enemy on the ground.

…”We only impede our ability to build a 21st-century military by constructing barriers where none need exist.”

The doyenne of discrimination should be issuing her press release from the Center for Military Readiness pronto.