Brody's Notes... Marine Corps Commandant Tells Reporters That Repeal Of DADT Would Kill Marines In Combat

General James Amos, USMC,  Official Portrait

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) DEC 14 | In a press briefing this afternoon, Commandant of the U. S. Marine Corps. General James Amos told reporters that Marines fighting in combat units in Afghanistan were extremely concerned that permitting Gays to serve openly could disrupt “unit cohesion."

“When your life hangs on a line, on the intuitive behavior of the young man… who sits to your right and your left, you don’t want anything distracting you,” Amos told reporters at the Pentagon. “I don’t want to lose any Marines to distraction. I don’t want to have any Marines that I’m visiting at Bethesda (hospital) with no legs,” he said. He added that “mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines’ lives. That’s the currency of this fight.”

Aubrey Sarvis, Army veteran and executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network responded in a statement saying:

“General Amos needs to fall in line and salute or resign now. He implied that repeal will lead to Marines losing their legs in combat. Those fear tactics are not in the interest of any service member. The General’s goal is to kill repeal no matter the consequences, perhaps at the dereliction of his other duties. He had his say before the Senate and House. General Amos needs to stop lobbying against his Commander-in-Chief, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. If he cannot do that, the President should ask for his resignation.”

The other LGBT Equality Group fighting for repeal of DADT, Servicemembers United responded stating:

"General Amos's comments about the inevitable repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' are getting worse and worse. His commentary is moving from the realm of reasonable disagreement in the provision of professional military advice to hysteria-inducing absurdity on this topic that reflects very poorly on DOD and on the administration."

General Amos' remarks comes on the heels of an announcement earlier today by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, (D-MD),  that Pennsylvania Democratic Representative Patrick Murphy, (D), was introducing a stand alone House bill to repeal DADT which the House Leadership is planning on commencing a vote tomorrow.