Obama: ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ repeal ‘strengthened’ national security

President Obama said Thursday that the country’s national
security has been strengthened by the repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” in a
statement noting the one-year anniversary ending a ban on gay and lesbian
service members serving openly in the military.

“As Commander in Chief, I’ve seen that our national security
has been strengthened because we are no longer denied the skills and talents of
those patriotic Americans who happen to be gay or lesbian,” Obama said. 

{mosads}“The
ability of service members to be open and honest about their families and the
people they love honors the integrity of the individuals who serve, strengthens
the institutions they serve, and is one of the many reasons why our military
remains the finest in the world,” he said.

The repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” which was passed by
Congress in 2010 and was implemented last September, has been frequently cited by the
president on the campaign trail as one of his chief accomplishments.

While the fight was red-hot during debate of the repeal in
2010, it has
faded as a political issue in the year since it was implemented.

Republican lawmakers said they don’t have plans to try and
roll back the repeal, and GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said last year it isn’t something he plans
to take up either.

Military commanders — including Marine Gen. James Amos, who
opposed the repeal — have said that the implementation has gone smoothly, with relatively few problems reported.

Obama said in the statement that the repeal has been
implemented “in an orderly manner, preserving unit cohesion, recruitment,
retention and military effectiveness.”