'Don't ask, don't tell,' backed by top brass

Top U.S. military brass warned a Senate hearing on Friday against changing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits gays from openly serving in the armed forces.

Contending that a repeal of the law could cause "disruption" within combat units, the reservations from high-ranking uniformed officers within the army and the marines added political fuel to Republicans fighting a possible policy shift.

"If the law is changed, successfully implementing repeal and assimilating openly homosexual marines into the tightly woven fabric of our combat units has strong potential for disruption at the small unit level," marine commandant, Gen. James Amos, told the Senate armed services committee.

"It will no doubt divert leadership attention away from an almost singular focus of preparing units for combat."

The 1993 act, which restricts homosexuals in the military from revealing their sexual orientation, is under debate following a recent Pentagon survey that suggested allowing gays, lesbians and bisexuals into military service would come at low risk.

'Another level of stress' to stretched forces

President Barack Obama has called on Congress to lift the ban on openly gay service.

Democrats had pledged a vote in Congress this month on the issue.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey was more measured in his opposition, predicting a repeal would only pose a moderate risk to his force but would not ultimately prevent the army from accomplishing its duties.

Still, he worried that overturning the policy now would "add another level of stress to any already stretched force."

Republican Arizona Senator John McCain, a stalwart critic of plans to repeal the law, said the assessments from the uniformed officers should be heeded carefully.

"It is the job of the service chiefs to ensure that our military is ready and able to win the nation's wars," he told the Senate panel.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ordered a 10-month review of soldiers' opinions on welcoming openly gay troops.

The results showed that a minority of troops (roughly 30 per cent) saw potential problems. However, most of the concerned service members (60 per cent) were in combat roles and felt a repeal would harm performance on the battlefield.