Turnaround

Marine Gen. James Amos: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Should End This Summer

One-time repeal opponent compares situation to the Alamo.

Gen. James Amos, the commandant of the Marine Corps, said Thursday that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell should be repealed as soon as this summer—and he compared the holdouts to the Alamo. “We’ve not seen issues,” Amos said when testifying before Congress. “There’s not been anxiety over it in the forces or in the field.” A onetime opponent of the repeal, Amos joined Army Gen. Norton Schwartz and Navy Adm. Gary Roughead in support of repealing the controversial policy. But the top military brass’ testimony did not seem to sway some opinions on Capitol Hill: Republican lawmakers blamed Democrats for the repeal of the bill, and Republican Rep. Vicky Hartzler pleaded with the joint chiefs, saying, “You can stop this still … In your gut you know this is not the right thing.”