The Pentagon will extend an array of benefits for the first time to same-sex military spouses including health insurance and housing on bases, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Wednesday.
The decision, which provides the same privileges to married same-sex couples as those granted to heterosexual couples, follows a ruling in June by the Supreme Court that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, which had defined marriage as only between a man and a woman.
The benefits, which are to be extended no later than September 3, are retroactive to June 26, the date of the Supreme Court decision that labelled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.
“It is now the Department’s policy to treat all married military personnel equally,” Hagel said in the memo.
For troops stationed at a base in one of the 37 US states that does not recognize gay marriages, the Pentagon will allow them up to 10 days leave to travel to one of the 13 states, as well as the District of Columbia, that issue same-sex marriage licenses, according to a memorandum issued by Hagel.
“This will provide accelerated access to the full range of benefits offered to married military couples throughout the department and help level the playing field between opposite-sex and same-sex couples seeking to be married,” Hagel said.
The change will mean that homosexual troops and their spouses will have the right to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington, where nearly 400,000 soldiers are interred, and many of their wives.
After a ban on openly gay troops was repealed in September 2011, the Pentagon already had extended certain privileges to same sex couples but most benefits had been off-limits until the Supreme Court ruling.
The change will affect about 5,600 active-duty troops as well as 17,0000 National Guard, reserve and retired service members, according to the Pentagon.
Pentagon grants benefits to same-sex military spouses
