PENTAGON TO LOOK AT REPEALING "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"

During Secretary Robert Gates' one hour testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Obama administration's desire to repeal the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, Pentagon sources say Gates is expected to appoint two senior staffers: 1 Uniform, 1 civilian to review this issue in its totality, and every way it will impact the military force.

-Gates will announce his intention to give them until the end of the year to work on it. Aides to Gates constantly point out he believes any policy changes needs to be done gradually and "very, very carefully."

-Gates is also expected to talk about what Pentagon lawyers believe can be done to treat military personnel more humanely when they are outed by third parties.

Do the votes in Congress exist to actually change the law (which is required for the Pentagon to change this policy)? This senior Pentagon official acknowledges it does not appear so, but that is not the Pentagon's role. The President wants the Pentagon to move forward on this issue.