Marine Corps: Study gay ban but don't hurt force

By ANNE FLAHERTY Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Marine Corps' top uniformed officer says that the ability of troops to fight and win wars must trump other concerns as the nation weighs whether to allow gays to serve openly.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway told a House panel Wednesday he supports a Pentagon assessment to determine how to lift the ban. But he also suggested that civil rights would ultimately have to take a back seat if it meant tampering with the military's ability to protect the nation.

Conway is seen as the most resistant among the service chiefs to efforts under way in Congress and the Pentagon to repeal the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law.

He said his concern was that military effectiveness would become "secondary to the discussion."