WASHINGTON - The military's top uniformed officer declared Tuesday that gays should be allowed to serve openly in uniform, arguing that it is "the right thing to do."

Adm. Mike Mullen's statement was the strongest yet from the uniformed military on this volatile issue, although he stressed that he was "speaking for myself and myself only."

He told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday he is deeply troubled by a policy that forces people to "lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens."

Mullen said he knows many will disagree about abandoning the "don't ask, don't tell" policy and said there are practical obstacles to lifting the 1993 ban. But he said he thinks the military can handle it. Mullen is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and chief military adviser to President Barack Obama.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the panel he is tapping his chief legal adviser and a four-star Army general to lead a landmark study on how the military would lift its ban on openly gay service members.

Pentagon counsel Jeh Johnson and Gen. Carter Ham, who leads Army forces in Europe, will conduct the yearlong assessment.

Republicans on Senate panel oppose repeal.

Sen. John McCain, the ranking committee Republican, publicly bristled at the Pentagon's decision to launch a yearlong study into allowing gays to serve, saying he is "deeply disappointed" and calling the assessment "clearly biased" because it presumes the law should be changed.

The Republicans are a bunch of pricks.

Lmfao I didn't even know that policy existed

When I first heard about the "Don't ask, Don't tell" I thought it was in favor of gays. SO glad that he plans to repeal it.

+1

I love that McCain's against it even though he's on record as saying he'd listen to the views of Sec. Powell. Who now calls for the repeal of DADT. So McCain, ****ing suck it up ya big old baby and be a ****ing MAVERICK like you think you are.

Glad to see they are doing this.