November 30, 2010 - Coffman Questions DADT Survey Results

Coffman Questions DADT Survey Results
Calls for Release of Data on Infantry Leadership

(WASHINGTON) — Today, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) called into question some of the results of Defense Department’s newly-released "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" report. Specifically, Coffman is concerned that although the survey’s findings show that 70 percent of service members believe it would have little or no effect on their units, it does not adequately focus on the impact to warfighters who will be most affected by the change. In a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Coffman expressed his concern and requested that more specific survey results be released immediately to provide a clearer picture.

“Based on my experiences serving as an enlisted infantryman in the U.S. Army and a infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, I am as yet unconvinced the results of this survey clearly forecast the impact of a repeal of this policy,” Coffman stated.

He continued, “Our nation is currently involved in two wars, so while it is laudable that the survey sought input from all military occupational fields in the armed forces, the most important goal of the survey should have been to judge the impact of repealing DADT on our warfighters.”

In his letter Coffman noted that the results of service members at the “tip of the spear” – U.S. Army and Marine Corps infantry – were not specifically provided. “I am officially requesting that the actual survey results from the leaders – noncommissioned and commissioned officers – who serve in the infantry occupational field (11B series in the Army and 0300 series in the Marine Corps) be broken down by each grade and released.” Coffman believes these granular survey results will provide a deeper understanding that a broad aggregation of survey data may conceal.

On Tuesday morning Coffman was briefed on the Pentagon's “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” report by Department of Defense General Counsel Jeh Johnson and U.S. Army Europe Commanding Officer General Carter Ham, who were tapped by Secretary Gates to lead the review.

To view the letter, click here.

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