Mr.Obama said he had spoken with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and with the Chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Michael Mullen.

VOA: standard.2009.11.05

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen have fallen into line behind the President's insistence that this statute be repealed.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Politicizing the Pentagon

As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen both prepare to depart public service later this year, they have been making a series of public comments on how military spending should be managed in an era of fiscal austerity.

FORBES: How Politics Will Shape The Defense Downturn

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is recommending the nation's top Naval officer, Admiral Michael Mullen, to be nominated as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

NPR: Joint Chiefs Shake-Up Leaves Questions