The kicker? The Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff approved the article before it went to publication.
And it won the 2009 Secretary of Defense National Security Essay competition.
The money shot:
“After a careful examination, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that unit cohesion will be negatively affected if homosexuals serve openly.”
More in the New York Times.
The article is not policy. In fact, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates say that the article does not necessarily reflect their views. Still, the fact the article got published is a significant harbinger. There’s no way it would have seen the light of day if the top brass wasn’t looking to see how the military would react it.