Shortly after his groundbreaking testimony Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reiterated his support for a repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” via his Twitter account, @thejointstaff.

“Stand by what I said: Allowing homosexuals to serve openly is the right thing to do. Comes down to integrity,” Mullen tweeted.

Mullen and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates told the Senate committee earlier today that they have tasked a senior military official and the Pentagon’s top legal counsel to review the policy and the potential effects of repeal — a process that could take up to a year, and one that some DADT repeal advocates have deemed unnecessary.

“The evidence is overwhelming that a quick turnaround on policy change minimizes disruptions to unit cohesion and morale,” Nathaniel Frank, author of Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, said in a Monday statement. “If this is the goal, there should be no slow-rolling of the implementation process.

Follow Advocate.com for continuing coverage of today’s hearing and its implications for DADT.