Study: Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Hasn't Hurt Military

"The repeal of DADT has had no overall negative impact on military readiness or its component dimensions, including cohesion, recruitment, retention, assaults, harassment or morale."

The repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy a year ago has not negatively affected the military's readiness, according to a new academic study.

"The repeal of DADT has had no overall negative impact on military readiness or its component dimensions, including cohesion, recruitment, retention, assaults, harassment or morale," says the study [pdf] by the Palm Center, a University of California, Los Angeles School of Law–affiliated research center that focuses on sexual minorities in the military.

The research is billed as the first "scholarly effort" designed to explore the impact of repeal on military readiness, and members of the study's team represented institutions including the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Marine Corps War College. DADT banned openly homosexual service members from the military until its repeal became effective on Sept. 20, 2011.