On Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), held a hearing on the status of the U.S. military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy. The two witnesses invited to the hearing were Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense.

Sen. Levin opened the hearing by calling the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy “discriminatory”, then cited the popularity of repealing the DADT rule according to polling data. He noted that other countries have repealed similar rules without major problems, and expressed concern at the number of significant military figures, including linguists with skills in Middle Eastern languages, who have been lost due to the DADT policy.

Click here to watch the hearing in its entirety.

Adm. Mullen’s testimony was surprisingly personal. Rather than simply speak from the Joint Chiefs of Staff perspective, he expressed concern about the notion that people who wish to serve in the military have to lie about who they are in order to do so. Adm. Mullen also acknowledged that some disruption in the military’s overall lifestyle would be inevitable, but that thoughtful and thorough studies would be conducted to limit any problems.

After that, all Members of the Committee were permitted to ask questions, most of which broke down on party lines. Democrats universally expressed support for the idea of repealing DADT, with just a few asking Sec. Gates and Adm. Mullen about proper implementation of the potential new policy. The Republicans either opposed repeal of DADT outright, or expressed such strong concerns about the change that they effectively support retaining DADT, even if they did not explicitly say so.

As always, we will closely monitor any further hearings, bills, and other relevant updates on the DADT issue.

First Lady Michelle Obama has made military families a priority throughout her time in the White House. First, she thanked veterans and their families privately for their contributions. Then, she publicly stated her support alongside Dr. Jill Biden at the 2009 World Series.

Now, she has delivered the most meaningful contribution of all: a promise of funding. According to Mrs. Obama, a three percent increase in funding will be implemented to a wide range of military programs. Official information, including a video, can be found at the official White House website here.

This work comes on the heels of other White House announcements that not only benefit veterans, but social workers as well. For example, one year advanced funding for the Veterans Administration was authorized by President Obama in October. Multiyear budgets can help social workers understand their job security within the VA’s employment structure.

Additionally, The White House has announced the construction of 359 military facilities across the country, to provide our nation’s veterans with improved rehabilitation and support services. This was part of The Recovery Act, described in greater detail here.

All in all, the first year of the Obama Administration has witnessed important gains not just for military personnel and veterans, but for the social workers who serve them.

In October, Representative Barbara Lee (CA-9) introduced H.R. 3699, a bill to prohibit any funds being expended to increase the number of members of the United States armed forces serving in Afghanistan. The bill currently has 27 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Committee on Armed Forces. Rep. Lee, a social worker, was the only opponent to George W. Bush’s War Resolution in 2002 by introducing House Concurrent Resolution 473 into the 107th Congress, which urged the United States to re-engage the diplomatic process and stressed the government’s commitment to the United Nations’ inspections process. NASW applauds the efforts of Representative Lee to restore peace.

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Read about this bill

Background
On Feb. 3, 2009 Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) reintroduced the Military Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Response Act (H.R.840). The bill seeks to reduce violence against military personnel and their families by enhancing programs of prevention and deterrence, improving victim services, and strengthening provisions for prosecution of assailants.

Women who courageously serve in our armed forces must deal with the possibility of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape during their service.  One study noted that sexual assault in the military is three to ten times more prevalent than in the general population. Nearly one-third of a nationwide sample of female veterans who sought health care through the VA said they experienced rape or attempted rape during their service.

This legislation is not specific to women, as men also risk sexual assault in the military.  Every service member deserves full rights and protections from abuse, and this legislation ensures that this occurs.

Specifically the legislation will:
-Establish an Office of Victims Advocate (OVA) within the Department of Defense, bring the Family Advocacy Program under OVA, and create a Director of OVA to oversee and coordinate efforts to prevent and respond to cases of family violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.-Codify rights, restitution policies, treatment and other services for victims within the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), including creating comprehensive confidentiality protocols to protect the rights of victims within military law

-Strengthen policies for reporting, prosecuting and treating perpetrators of violence

-Create counseling and treatment programs through the Department of Veterans Affairs

Action Requested
Contact your Representative today and ask them to become a cosponsor of H.R. 840 and to actively work for its passage. If your Representative is already a cosponsor, you can send them a thank you note.