Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Dr. David A. Honey Hold a Press Briefing on Don't Ask, Don't Tell and Innovation Hubs

DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE KATHLEEN HICKS: Well, good morning, everyone. I have two different announcements to make today. First, today is the 12th anniversary of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, a historic day for the Department of Defense that made our military stronger and more just. I hope that you all saw Secretary Austin's statement on the anniversary, which went out earlier this morning. As the secretary notes, decades of laws and policies that forced service members to hide who they are left a long and cruel legacy, not just in terms of the individual traumas wrought upon service members and family members but also as tens and thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines w...