First, the Pentagon fears that gay soldiers would undermine teamwork and morale.
ECONOMIST: Equal rights in America's armed forces
That's pretty poor consolation for an army which has seen its standing in society plummet in the last ten years, many of its best officers leave for lucrative jobs in the civilian world and the morale of its soldiers fall lower than ever before.
BBC: News | Analysis | Russian Army: little to celebrate
In terms of morale among troops, he says soldiers - both regular and reserve - were generally upbeat in Iraq.
BBC: 'The TA plays a crucial role'
Forcing soldiers to lie to each other is not good for morale or cohesion.
CNN: Commentary: Allow gays to serve openly in military
Mr Gates says the task-force will interview soldiers to find out how a repeal would affect their morale.
ECONOMIST: Gays in the armed forces
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