WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon's costs for firing service members for homosexuality under its "don't ask, don't tell" policy were nearly twice as high as a government estimate made last year, an independent commission said on Tuesday. A University of California commission of military experts said it cost at least $363.8 million to implement the policy from 1994 to 2003. That is 91 percent more than the $190.5 million estimated a year ago by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm. Opponents of the policy -- a compromise forged when former President Bill Clinton tried to lift the Pentagon's ban on gays serving in the military -- said the report showed more reason to end restrictions entirely.
Under the policy, gays could serve if their sexual orientation remained secret and if they refrained from homosexual conduct. More than 10,000 service members have been fired for homosexuality since 1994, the panel said.
"By discharging competent service members at a time when our troops are already stretched thin, the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy incurs hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary costs and purges highly skilled, critical personnel from the service," said Rep. Martin Meehan, a Massachusetts Democrat, who requested last year's GAO report.
The commission of military experts included William Perry, defense secretary in the Clinton administration, and Lawrence Korb, assistant defense secretary in the Reagan administration. The commission said it used conservative assumptions and was not able to use several cost categories in its estimate, so its figure "should be seen as a lower bound estimate."
The commission said it decided to review last year's findings because the GAO acknowledged it did not include some costs of training officers who were discharged, and it appeared to use cost figures for training enlisted service members that were too low. While the GAO emphasized costs of replacing individuals fired under the policy, the commission said it focused on how much value the military lost from premature discharges which would vary with the duration of service.
A service member discharged shortly after completing $30,000 worth of training would pose a greater loss than one discharged shortly before retirement, the panel said. It used average service times for personnel in various positions for comparisons.
Under the policy, gays could serve if their sexual orientation remained secret and if they refrained from homosexual conduct. More than 10,000 service members have been fired for homosexuality since 1994, the panel said.
"By discharging competent service members at a time when our troops are already stretched thin, the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy incurs hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary costs and purges highly skilled, critical personnel from the service," said Rep. Martin Meehan, a Massachusetts Democrat, who requested last year's GAO report.
The commission of military experts included William Perry, defense secretary in the Clinton administration, and Lawrence Korb, assistant defense secretary in the Reagan administration. The commission said it used conservative assumptions and was not able to use several cost categories in its estimate, so its figure "should be seen as a lower bound estimate."
The commission said it decided to review last year's findings because the GAO acknowledged it did not include some costs of training officers who were discharged, and it appeared to use cost figures for training enlisted service members that were too low. While the GAO emphasized costs of replacing individuals fired under the policy, the commission said it focused on how much value the military lost from premature discharges which would vary with the duration of service.
A service member discharged shortly after completing $30,000 worth of training would pose a greater loss than one discharged shortly before retirement, the panel said. It used average service times for personnel in various positions for comparisons.
