Pentagon chief Leon Panetta will end the ban on gays serving openly in America’s armed services today, certifying that repealing the 17-year-old law will not hurt the military’s ability to fight, officials said.

The US military said it is accepting openly gay recruits for the first time in the country’s history, after a judge upheld an order ending a controversial ban on homosexual troops.

Pop star Lady Gaga visited the US state of Maine on the eve of a key Senate vote to urge its two US senators to help repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays.

Senior aides to the chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff said today that US Marine General Peter Pace will not apologise for calling homosexuality immoral, an opinion that gay advocacy groups deplored.