Former Georgia senator Sam Nunn, who helped push through the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law that established the terms under which gays and lesbians could serve in the U.S. military, said Tuesday that it's time to review the policy.

"I think [when] 15 years go by on any personnel policy, it's appropriate to take another look at it —- see how it's working, ask the hard questions, hear from the military," Nunn said.

The former chairman of the Senate Armed Services wouldn't say whether he personally supported putting an end to the policy.

Nunn's comments followed a seminar in Atlanta on national service, after which reporters also asked him about the chances that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama might choose him as his running mate.

"I think it's highly improbable that I would be invited to be on the ticket, and I think it's also highly improbable that I would be going back into government," said Nunn, who retired from the U.S. Senate in 1996.

"Don't ask, don't tell" is a short-hand reference to the federal statute that prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members, but requires discharge of those who acknowledge being gay or engaging in homosexual activity.

When the policy was first adopted, military experts argued that openly gay military personnel would harm "unit cohesion." Since then, the policy has been sharply criticized by many gays, and some military experts now question the effectiveness of a statute that forces the dismissal of skilled personnel at a time of lagging recruitment.

Nunn said many overlook the fact that, before "don't ask, don't tell," gays and lesbians were barred from service unless they lied about their sexual orientation.

"People don't understand that that was the beginning point. We basically made it possible for people to serve honorably in the military without lying," Nunn said.

The former senator said a new look at the policy is warranted. "But first and foremost we have to put national security on the front burner. That's particularly true when we're in a war in Iraq and Afghanistan," Nunn said.

"Certainly there are a very large number of gay and lesbian men and women serving honorably in our military today. And they're doing it within the existing law."

Pressed for his position on the matter, Nunn said, "I'm not advocating anything —- except I'm saying the policy was the right policy for the right time, and times change. It's appropriate to take another look."