Top military leaders are voicing opposition to an immediate repeal of the military’s ban on gay and lesbian servicemembers known as the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. On Friday, the heads of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to argue against a repeal before the end of the year. The Army chief of staff, General George Casey, contradicted the testimony of Defense Secretary Robert Gates one day earlier.

Gen. George Casey: “Implementation of the repeal of ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ would be a major cultural and policy change in the middle of a war. It would be implemented by a force and leaders that are already stretched by the cumulative effects of almost a decade at war. It would be implemented by a force in which a substantial number of soldiers perceive that repeal will have a negative impact on unit effectiveness, cohesion and morale, and that implementation will be difficult.”