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General won't be punished for remarks on policy on gays

From Mike Mount, CNN Senior Pentagon Producer
Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon is under fire for comments opposing President Obama's decision to repeal "don't ask, don't tell."
Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon is under fire for comments opposing President Obama's decision to repeal "don't ask, don't tell."
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon criticized Obama's decision to repeal "don't ask, don't tell"
  • Mixon said troops should write members of Congress to tell them to oppose repeal
  • Secretary of Army says Mixon will not be reprimanded for comments
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Washington (CNN) -- A senior U.S. Army general who publicly asked for criticism of the president's effort to repeal the ban on openly gay service members will not be reprimanded, according to the secretary of the Army.

Secretary John McHugh said Wednesday that Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon will not be forced to step down, nor will he be given a letter of reprimand for his comments in a newspaper this month. Mixon asked troops to write their members of Congress to tell them not to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" law.

President Obama supports the repeal, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in the midst of a top-to-bottom review of repealing the ban.

Members of the U.S. military openly criticizing the president could be punished for insubordination under military regulations.

"Now is the time to write your elected officials and chain of command and express your views. If those of us who are in favor of retaining the current policy do not speak up, there is no chance to retain the current policy," Mixon wrote.

Members of the Pentagon's top leadership, including Gates, were not happy about the comments. Gates said at a Pentagon briefing last week, "I think that for an active-duty officer to comment on an issue like this is inappropriate."

The comments by Mixon, commander of U.S. Army forces in the Pacific, were published in Stars and Stripes newspaper on March 8.

Army officials said McHugh considers the Mixon issue closed.