How many months long was the roll-out for DADT, when it started?

[SoCalDem]

Why on earth would the cancellation of the policy take a YEAR?

Like saying.."the daily beatings have been determined to be a bad thing, so we will end them..but it may take a year to finally stop them".

[niyad]

1. why would saying "stop implementing dadt" take a year? takes 2 seconds.

what structures, systems, etc., have to be dismantled? how long does it take to dissolve such things, really?

[Tx4obama]

6. Could be until at least to the end of May 2011

1) Certification must be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2011 (end of March) as stated in the text of the new law (seen that somewhere yesterday)
2) Then there is a 60 day waiting period 'after' certification required by the new law.
----------

Info below from CNN:

President Barack Obama will sign the repeal on Wednesday morning, the White House says, setting the stage to allow gay people to serve openly in the armed forces. But the Pentagon has an 87-page implementation plan for the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." Over the next several weeks, military officials need to examine and rewrite a series of policies, regulations and directives related to the current law.

Once that potentially lengthy process is complete, Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen will each have to certify that the repeal can move ahead without negatively affecting unit cohesion and military readiness.

After the certification, another 60 days will need to pass before the repeal is officially enacted.

[Tx4obama]

2. I just read somewhere a bit ago it took 40 days to train/implement

when it was first put into place.
Can't figure out WHERE I saw it.

[Tx4obama]

8. Here's the article/link

SNIP
Aaron Belkin, center director, said it took just 40 days to train the force when the don't ask, don't tell policy was implemented under President Bill Clinton in 1993-94. The Pentagon, Belkin said, can train the entire force rapidly, even those in combat zones.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101221/ap_on_re_us/us_gays_in_military_43

p.s. Be sure to read that full article it explains why it's going to take so long to 'implement' the new rules after the repeal of DADT is certified - details some of the new rules and what kind of rules there will be.

[DaveinJapan]

3. Wasn't it just last month that one of the branches suspended it immediately

after the court decision struck it down?

Or 2 months ago?

I don't recall which branch it was, but didn't Dan Choi go down and re-enlist with no problem?

It shouldn't take any time at all. And if it DOES take time for whatever reason, it is certainly appropriate for the President to issue an EO suspending all pending cases as a result of the new law coming into being.

:shrug:

[EFerrari]

4. I thought they wanted 2 months for implementation.

Wait -- did that change?

[SoCalDem]

5. This afternoon a guest on Ed's show ( I think it was Ed's show)

said it would probably take a "year or so" before it was all done..:(

[Tx4obama]

7. There haven't been any discharges under DADT since at least October 21st

Excerpt:

In spite of numerous requests, the Pentagon has been unable to say exactly when the last "don't ask, don't tell" discharge occurred. Defense Department spokesperson Cynthia Smith said Tuesday none had occurred since at least October 21.

On that day, Defense Secretary Robert Gates changed the rules to limit "don't ask, don't tell" discharge decisions to senior civilian leaders instead of the uniformed chiefs of the four branches of the service, all of whom have expressed opposition to repealing the policy.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/11/30/dadt.discharges/index.html?eref=edition_us

[obxhead]

9. WTF. We were supposed to win the war in Iraq faster than that.

It's really not hard. Anyone that serves in the military, in any form, must follow the military code of conduct. You announce the change, order a new printing, and poof it's done. Why should it take more than 72 hours much less months?

[alex cross]

10. It needs a little study still doncha know

The entire bill is here, very short. But the relevant section has a few loop holes, some big enough to fly a c-5 transport through.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.6520:

(b) Effective Date- The amendments made by subsection (f) shall take effect 60 days after the date on which the last of the following occurs:
(1) The Secretary of Defense has received the report required by the memorandum of the Secretary referred to in subsection (a).
(2) The President transmits to the congressional defense committees a written certification, signed by the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stating each of the following:
(A) That the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have considered the recommendations contained in the report and the report's proposed plan of action.
(B) That the Department of Defense has prepared the necessary policies and regulations to exercise the discretion provided by the amendments made by subsection (f).
(C) That the implementation of necessary policies and regulations pursuant to the discretion provided by the amendments made by subsection (f) is consistent with the standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the Armed Forces.
(c) No Immediate Effect on Current Policy- Section 654 of title 10, United States Code, shall remain in effect until such time that all of the requirements and certifications required by subsection (b) are met. If these requirements and certifications are not met, section 654 of title 10, United States Code, shall remain in effect.

Lot's of room for foot dragging and maybe some other shenanigans, IMHO.

[frazzled]

11. Maybe (I'm just guessing)

It is for the protection of gay and lesbian soldiers? Time to do sensitivity training for troops so they will be fully able to accept "out" members and know what is and isn't permissible to say or do to them. Time to create rules for what happens if harassment occurs and how to prosecute it. I think it takes time for institutions to adapt to big social changes. If you lived through the era of desegregation, and remember how ugly that transition was, I'll be glad if they get it "right" this time.

In the meantime, no one is going to be dismissed from the military for being gay.