Pentagon to Survey Spouses on DADT

The Pentagon plans to survey about 150,000 military spouses on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in what a spokeswoman called a “contingency plan” if the policy is repealed.

According to The Hill, the surveys will be considered in the Pentagon’s review of the policy, which is required for any change. The House voted to repeal the policy in May, but the measure awaits a vote in the Senate in the coming weeks and the Pentagon review is due by year’s end.

“In a statement, Department of Defense spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the surveys ‘will help the military leadership assess the impacts, if any, a change in the law ... might have on family readiness and military community life,’” reported The Hill.

The surveys will be mailed on August 20 and spouses are asked to complete them by September 27. Some 400,000 troops received a survey on “don’t ask, don’t tell” in July that repeal groups cited for bias.