This was forwarded to me by a friend. I'm passing it on because the differences from the White House statement are interesting. --EKS ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------ Navy News Service - NAVNEWS BY EMAIL - navnews@nctamslant.navy.mil ------------------------------------------------------------------ NAVY NEWS SERVICE - 29 JAN 93 - NAVNEWS 009/93 Editor's Note This Navy News Service message follows NAVNEWS 008/93, DTG 272300Z Jan 93. NAVNEWS 009/93 is being released as a means of providing more timely information to the fleet; we will release news when it is news. -USN- NNS79. President Announces Policy on Gays in Military WASHINGTON (NNS) -- After reaching an agreement with Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell (D-Maine) and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Georgia), President Clinton today announced his policy regarding homosexuals in the military: "The President has directed the Secretary of Defense to conduct a review of the current Department of Defense policy that excludes homosexuals from military service and prepare a draft executive order based upon that review by July 15, 1993. Current Department of Defense personnel policies related to this issue will remain in effect at least through July 15, 1993 while the Department of Defense is conducting the review directed by the President, subject to the following guidance: First, questions regarding sexual orientation will be removed from future versions of the induction application, and will not be asked in the interim. The briefings on military justice which all recruits are required to receive upon entry to military service and periodically thereafter under Article 137 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice will include a detailed explanation of the applicable laws and regulations governing sexual conduct by members of the armed forces. Second, the Department of Justice is seeking continuances in pending court cases involving former service members who have been discharged on the basis of homosexuality and who are seeking reinstatement into military service. The continuances would freeze those cases pending the completion of the review directed by the President. Third, commanding officers will continue to process cases under the current laws and regulations related to homosexuality. -- Cases involving homosexual conduct will be processed through actual separation and discharge in accordance with current policy. -- When a case involves only homosexual status and the person involved requests a discharge, the person will be released from active duty. -- Cases involving acknowledged homosexual status being contested by the individual will be processed through all applicable stages, including notice of the basis for separation, hearing before a board of officers, review of the board's recommendations by the separation authority and the action by the separation authority to discharge the person. If directed by the Attorney General, the final discharge in cases based only on status will be suspended until the President acts on the recommendations of the Secretary of Defense with respect to current policy. A member whose discharge has been suspended by the Attorney General will be separated from active duty and placed in the standby reserve. Individuals in the standby reserve would have the option to return, upon request, to active duty should the current policy be changed. Those personnel whose cases have not been suspended will be discharged. -- Commanding officers may, in the interest of the individual or the unit concerned, direct changes in the assignment of personnel during the course of separation proceedings." Following the announcement from the White House, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell issued the following statement to news media, "I just wanted to express on behalf of the JCS our support for the President's statement of this afternoon. This has been a difficult issue for all of us. We are aware of the President's commitment, as well as his conviction with respect to this issue and how he wishes to move forward. "We are very, very pleased that the President gave us the opportunity to discuss the issue at length with him earlier this week. It was a very excellent discussion, as he noted. And we believe that the six-month period of time that we have been given to work this issue, to study it, to hear the views of all concerned and to work with the Congress will give us the time to do this without the press of the current situation on us. So we look forward to working with all concerned parties to find a solution that is right for the American people, that is fair to all the citizens of our nation, but at the same time, enhances the readiness and there's nothing to affect the exquisite nature of the armed forces we have. And I think we can find a way to make sure that we do all of those things," said Powell. Story based on White House and OASD(PA) releases. Further information on this subject will be published as it becomes available. -USN-