Summary

In Chapter 12, Gates writes about the controversy over the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy under which gay Americans could serve in the armed forces only if they kept their sexual orientation a secret. If they were outed, either by themselves or someone else, they were separated from the military. Only a couple of days before his State of the Union address, the president told Gates and Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that he would announce his plan to repeal the law, angering Gates because he felt more time was needed to prepare. Gates and Mullen began an extensive survey to determine what the effects of repeal might be on the troops, but to their dismay, the White House and Congress were quietly negotiating for a quick repeal. Disagreement over when and how...