General James Amos testified Tuesday
that most Marines oppose repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the
AP reported
Amos has been nominated to succeed
outgoing Marine commandant General James Conway.
“I've heard at the Marine bases and
the Marine input for the online survey has been predominantly
negative,” Amos said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services
Committee.
Amos' remarks come on the same day
senators
are expected to vote on whether to end debate on an annual defense
policy bill that includes repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,”
the law that allows gay troops to serve only if they remain closeted
and celibate.
Conway has previously suggested that
the Marines would consider separate quarters for gay service members
if Congress repeals the policy, explaining that Marines don't want to
bunk with gay service members because they are “very religious.”
Amos, however, admitted that he had not
seen the responses to the Pentagon survey expected to be completed in
December.
Repeal
advocates have criticized the survey as biased against gay troops, a
claim officials have denied.
Amos and Conway have said should
Congress repeal the law, the Marines would not hesitate to implement
the new policy.
“We obey orders,” Amos said.