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Navy News Service - NAVNEWS BY EMAIL - navnews@opnav-emh.navy.mil
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NAVY NEWS SERVICE - 22 DEC 93 - NAVNEWS 087/93
   Top News and Policy Stories
                                  -USN-
         Top News and Policy Stories
NNS980.  Secretary Aspin Releases New Regulations on Homosexual
Conduct in the Military
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of Defense Les Aspin released today the
new Department of Defense regulations on homosexual conduct in the
Armed Forces.  The regulations implement the policy that was
announced by President Clinton in July.
     The new directives were prepared with the collaboration and
coordination of all the military services and are fully consistent
with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994.
     Secretary Aspin said, "We are confident that the new policy will
maintain unit cohesion and will maintain the readiness of the
best-trained, best-equipped military in the world today."
     The new policy covers five areas:
     Accessions.  Accession policy has been revised so that no
applicant will be asked about his or her sexual orientation as part
of the accession process.  Sexual orientation is considered a
personal and private matter, and homosexual orientation is not a bar
to service entry or continued service unless manifested by homosexual
conduct.
     Separations.  Separation policy has been revised to emphasize
that DoD judges the suitability of persons to serve in the Armed
Forces on the basis of conduct, not sexual orientation.  The three
bases for separation are homosexual acts, same sex marriages, and
statements by an individual that he or she is a homosexual or
bisexual.  In the latter case, the individual has the opportunity to
rebut the presumption of homosexual acts by demonstrating that he or
she does not engage in homosexual acts and does not have a propensity
or intent to do so.
     Criminal Investigations.  The new directive on criminal
investigations of sexual misconduct makes clear that no Defense
criminal investigative organization or other DoD law enforcement
organization will conduct an investigation solely to determine a
servicemember's sexual orientation. Investigations will be conducted
in an evenhanded manner, without regard to whether the alleged sexual
misconduct involves homosexual or heterosexual conduct.
     Personnel Security.  Policy concerning personnel security
investigations is also changed to provide that no investigation or
inquiries will be conducted solely to determine a subject's sexual
orientation and that questions pertaining to an individual's sexual
orientation will not be asked on personnel security questionnaires.
Information about homosexual orientation or conduct obtained during
a security clearance investigation will not be used by the  military
departments in separation proceedings.
     Military Training.  As part of the training that will occur upon
entry and periodically thereafter, service members will be informed
of the DoD policy on sexual conduct, including homosexual conduct.
There is also a training plan on DoD policy on homosexual conduct
designed for commanders and personnel involved in recruiting,
accession processing, criminal investigations and administrative
separations.
     The next step, Aspin noted, is for the services to implement the
new policy, a process expected to take about 45 days.
     For additional details see SECDEF WASHINGTON DC 221400Z DEC 93
or CHINFO WASHINGTON DC DTG 221400Z DEC 93.
                                  -USN-