Enforcing DADT cost the federal government $200,000,000 over five years:
The military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which is set to be rolled back in the coming months, expelled 3,664 service members between 2004 and 2009, costing U.S. taxpayers roughly $193.3 million, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Of that money, $185.6 million was in replacement costs—money spent to recruit and train replacements for the gay and lesbian service members fired under DADT—and $7.7 million in administrative costs.
That means the average expulsion under DADT cost taxpayers $52,800, partly because a significant number of those discharged held a “critical occupation or important language skill,” the GAO reported. At least “1,442 (39 percent) of the servicemembers separated under the policy held critical occupations, such as infantryman and security forces, while 23 (less than 1 percent) of the servicemembers held skills in an important foreign language, such as Arabic or Spanish,” the report reads. “Seven separated servicemembers held both a critical occupation and an important foreign language skill.”
This news won’t stop House Republicans from attempting to block the repeal of DADT, of course, anymore than concerns about deficit spending stopped Republicans from attempting to repeal health care reform. Liars, bigots, frauds—nothing to see here, folks, same old GOP.
Wait, are there ANY policies in the military that cost less than 200mil over 5 years?
$200M is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes from knowing no (avowed) homos are defending my freedom to marry the opposite sex person of my choice.