Gov. George W. Bush, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Al Gore and Bill Bradley declined to answer the survey but speaking in other venues, Bradley and Gore both backed homosexuals serving openly in the military while Bush supports the current policy known as "don't ask, don't tell."

Elaine Donnelly, director of the CMR emphasizes that "don't ask, don't tell" does not reflect the law passed by Congress in 1993 which excludes homosexuals.

All the responding candidates opposed homosexuals serving openly in the military but John McCain said he would not restore the question regarding homosexuality to the recruitng forms which Donnelly said is authorized by law. Buchanan did not respond to the query about restoring the homosexuality question to the recruiting forms.

All but McCain and Buchanan said they would end "don't ask, don't tell" and institute policies consistent with the law Congress passed excluding homosexuals from service. McCain said he would not. Buchanan did not reply. Bauer added he would end "sensitivity training" and "gay pride days" in the military and oppose housing and medical benefits for same-sex couples

The candidates were also asked whether they oppose co-ed basic training and end it "with or without" action by Congress All the responding candidates except McCain expressed unqualified opposition to co-ed basic training and would end it. McCain said he would "work with" the service secretaries, the service chiefs who he said are "ultimately responsible" for military training, and with the Congress to "re-evaluate the merits of co-ed basic training."

All the responding candidates said they would not order the assignment of female sailors to submarines, but McCain added that he would "consider the views of the Chief of Naval Operations." There was also unanimous opposition to relaxing the standards and penalize for adultery and sexual misconduct in the military and they all supported disciplinary measure for false reports of sexual misconduct.

Citing "negative consequences" of women in combat units, the survey asked whether the candidates would continue to bar women from certain combat assignments ("direct engagement with the enemy with a high risk of capture".) All responding candidates said they would not open these currently closed assignments to women.

However, McCain said he would restore the exemption from other combat assignments. He denied that any combat units "have been rated less than fully ready because women serve in those units" and supports allowing women in combat as pilots and on ships that can accommodate them. He said he would only bar women from ground combat where unit cohesion and physical strength make their assignment impractical. Bush, who did not respond to the survey, indicated he does not support removing women from combat and would not sign legislation to do that if passed by Congress.

McCain joined the other responders in opposing requiring women to register for the draft along with men. Americans, he said, are not ready for their daughters to register with Selective Service and added that the volunteer military is the best way to man the military services.

McCain reclaimed his maverick status on the issue of NATO abandoning its strictly defensive role and undertaking such initiatives as bombing Serbia without Congressional authorization and conducting war under the supervision of a 19-nation NATO committee. McCain was the only responding candidate to support the "New Strategic Concept" for NATO.

All the responding candidates opposed the claim of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that national frontiers are not a barrier to UN intervention between warring factions and that a standing UN force be created for that purpose.

All the responding candidates except McCain would abolish the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, (DACOWITS) and other advisory committees that CMR charges promote a feminist agenda for the military such as quotas, gender-norming, and careerism for women as a higher priority than military efficiency and readiness. McCain said the group represents "diverse viewpoints" and has had a "positive impact on military policy."