Part (1 of 2) Parts-( DADT ) Survey Briefing 11-30-2010

Description: Key Findings The Pentagon's study on repealing "don't ask, don't tell" was based on responses from some 115,000 troops and more than 44,000 military spouses, as well as face-to-face meetings with troops on bases around the world. Among the key findings: Seventy percent of troops surveyed believed that repealing the law would have mixed, positive or no effect. A significant minority — 30 percent of service members overall — predicted negative consequences from a repeal. That number was 43 percent among Marines overall, and 58 percent among Marines serving in combat posts. Concerns about the impact of repeal were strongest among those in combat posts in both the Army and Marines. For example, nearly 60 percent of respondents in the Marines and in Army combat posts said repeal would have a negative impact on unit effectiveness "in a field environment or out at sea." Sixty-nine percent of all respondents said they have served with a co-worker "believed to be homosexual." When those in the overall military were asked about the experience of working with someone whom they believed to be gay or lesbian, 92 percent stated that their unit's ability to work together was either very good, good, or neither good nor poor. In general, female service members were "substantially less likely to perceive negative impacts following repeal than male service members" for "all the issues asked about in the survey." — NPR Staff