Marine Corps' Commandant: Gay Soldiers Would Get Their Own Rooms

Jillian Bandes | March 29, 2010 8:21 AM

If he's forced to implement gay-friendly policies, Gen. James Conway won't force his troops to bunk with gay soldiers. Instead, he'll give gays their own private suites

. Conway is one of a small but vocal military contingent — including Sen. John McCain — who are opposed to the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

I would not ask our Marines to live with someone who is homosexual if we can possibly avoid it... And to me that means we have to build BEQs (bachelor enlisted quarters) and have single rooms.

Most soldiers currently bunk two-to-a-room when they are living on base.

Higher-ups have tried to keep lower-level leadership out of the DADT debate, but many have simply jumped in anyway, creating tricky public relations scenario during the installation of this controversial mandate.