Dear Representative,

As your constituent, I urge you to support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act that is currently in the House of Representatives.

Although the main purpose of this legislation is to repeal the U.S. Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy so that gay and lesbian troops would be allowed to serve openly, the bill is much more than a non-discrimination bill. It is a bill that would protect national security and strengthen our military, while saving taxpayers and our Armed Forces millions of dollars and countless resources that could be put to better use.

Military readiness is enhanced when every qualified American who wants to serve is allowed to do so. It is estimated that at least 65,000 gay and lesbian Americans are currently serving in the U.S. Military. More than 13,000 others have already been discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Given the current needs of the our Armed Forces, which are already stretched thin and are facing serious problems in recruiting and retaining troops, it makes no sense to continue upholding a policy that keeps able-bodied Americans from serving.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" weakens our national security. According to a report released by the General Accountability Office, nearly 800 specialists with critical skills have been fired, including more than 300 linguists, more than 60 of whom specialized in Arabic. The GAO report also shows that the enforcement of this policy has cost between $250 million and over $1 billion, although that number does not include costs associated with discharging officers or other highly skilled specialists. Not included in the GAO report are the estimated 4000 service members annually who choose not to reenlist because of the policy, or the effects ripping a service member away from the unit so unnecessarily can have on cohesion, morale, or combat readiness. The GAO report is further evidence that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" must be repealed.

Please support our Armed Forces by supporting this critical legislation. I look forward to receiving your response.

[Your name here]