Potential Successor to Gates Lays Out Military Priorities

Just to be clear: Defense Secretary Robert Gates is not talking about leaving the Pentagon. But when he ultimately does depart, possibly as soon as next year, a leading candidate to succeed him is his undersecretary for policy, Michele Flournoy. And judging by her speech Thursday at the annual conference More…

Skelton Dares Obama to Veto Defense Bill With ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ Second F-35 Engine

As I wrote last month, the House’s version of the defense bill has a provision that could jeopardize a hard-won effort to repeal the military’s ban on open gay service: a second engine for the F-35 fighter jet. Obama has publicly threatened to veto the bill because of the More…

Pentagon Creates Office to Bolster International Legitimacy

For the first time, the Department of Defense has established an office to guide policy on emerging non-traditional military activities like compliance with the rule of law, humanitarian emergencies and human rights. It’s a bureaucratic change that effectively frames international legitimacy as a security issue, a reflection of the legacy More…

Gates Solicits Military Input on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal as House Passes Defense Bill

As the House passed the 2011 defense authorization bill this afternoon containing a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Defense Secretary Gates issued a video statement to the military encouraging servicemembers to tell his Working Group how to “minimize any disruption” to the force when repeal happens.

A reluctant supporter More…

Jet Engine Veto Threat Could Still Scotch ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal

After 17 years of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the next bill authorizing the Department of Defense’s budget will contain a provision instructing the Pentagon to repeal the military’s ban on open gay service after its Working Group issues its guidance for doing so. And the healthy margin by which More…

Backing Gates, Obama Issues Defense Bill Veto Threat Over Plane Engine

Something to warm the cockles of Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ heart: The White House might have disagreed with him over a legislative push to repeal the ban on open gay military service, but President Obama is backing him on opposition to a second engine for the Joint Strike Fighter.

Gates More…

Military Chiefs Oppose ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Compromise Legislation

In a big setback for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Rep. Patrick Murphy’s (D-Pa.) efforts to insert amendments overturning the military’s ban on open gay service in this year’s defense authorization bill, Igor Volsky of ThinkProgress has obtained letters from the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and More…

Gates Reiterates Defense Bill Veto Threat, But Not Because of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal provisions about to be inserted into the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill are getting all the attention. But don’t forget that the bill is a venue for a much different showdown between the Pentagon and Congress. Defense Secretary Robert Gates certainly hasn’t.

Rep. Skelton Opposes ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Compromise

Here’s an example of why LGBT activist groups who cheered the Obama administration’s acquiescence to a legislative push overturning the military’s ban on open gay service are girding up for a close fight.

Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the powerful veteran legislator who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, came out More…

Gates, Reluctantly, Accepts ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal This Week

A fresh-out statement from Geoff Morrell, chief spokesman for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, reacting to the proposed legislative language for repealing the military’s ban on open gay service and the general legislative strategy of putting the repeal in the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill:

“Secretary Gates continues

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