by Shaun Knittel - SGN Staff Writer

On July 7, the Department of Defense sent surveys to 200,000 active duty and 200,000 guard and reserve servicemembers asking for their personal assessments of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (DADT), the military's discriminatory policy that bans Gays and Lesbians from openly serving in the U.S. military.

According to the Pentagon, the survey, sent to servicemembers through official military e-mail, asks questions as to how unit morale and readiness might be affected if a commander is believed to be Gay or Lesbian; the need to maintain personal standards of conduct; and how repeal might affect willingness to serve in the military.

More poignantly, the survey asks a number of questions aimed at identifying what, if any, problems might occur when troops live and work in close quarters in war zones such as in Afghanistan and Iraq. In other words, troops are asked how they might react if they had to share a room, bathrooms, and open-bay showers (specifically in a war zone) with servicemembers that were openly Gay or Lesbian.

In addition, the survey asks several questions about reactions to dealing with same-sex partners in social situations.

Earlier this year, top Pentagon brass established a team to conduct the survey after President Barack Obama called upon Congress and the military to end the ban, which has been in place since 1993 and ruined nearly 14,000 careers. Thus far, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen publicly back a repeal of DADT.

It is important to note that Defense Department officials say the survey is aimed at determining the impact of repeal, not whether repeal should happen.

Breaking ranks with Admiral Mullen, several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff say they want to see the results of the survey before they offer their final opinion on the impact of a repeal.

On July 7, a senior U.S. military official with direct knowledge of the review process told CNN the military needs until the end of 2010 to figure out how to implement a repeal of DADT in terms of housing, medical, and marriage benefits, as well as issues involving the reinstatement of Gay soldiers previously discharged under the policy.

According to the official, in addition to the survey, the Pentagon has also been soliciting opinions in a number of private meetings with troops.

The results of the review will not be available until December.

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