Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell will apparently remain the law of the land. Federal News Radio told you Thursday that a Senate move to overturn the provision failed by three vote.

What does that mean for the Defense Department?

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is again warning that the military will not be able to to prepare properly if a court does strike it down. Gates tells the American Forces Press Service that he’s still hopeful the Senate might repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell before the end of session next week.

The Secretary says the Department does have a plan to implement a repeal. But he says any immediate steps to start training or preparing for the change would be too confusing for the troops.

Gates called it a real “wake-up call” when a federal circuit court judge struck down the law in October.

He says he’s concerned about another possible situation. Gates says with the fate of the policy in the hands of the courts there’s the possibility the law will be ruled invalid within just one jurisdiction. That could create different sets of criteria between that jurisdiction and the rest of the country.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily DoD Report. For more defense news, click here.

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