Military gets same-sex marriage benefits and extended leave for marriage on Sept 3rd

[Ryan]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...ow-same-sex-spouses-to-get-military-benefits/

Same-sex spouses of military members will be eligible for the same health care, housing and other benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex spouses starting Sept. 3, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

The decision follows consultation with the Justice Department and the Supreme Court's ruling in June on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.

"It is now the department's policy to treat all married military personnel equally," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in memo Wednesday to senior Pentagon officials.

The Defense of Marriage Act prohibited the federal government from recognizing any marriage other than that between a man and a woman. In late June, the Supreme Court cleared the way for legally married gay couples to be recognized under federal law.

The Associated Press reported last week that Hagel was considering the new benefits proposal.

The benefits will be made available to same-sex spouses as long as the service member provides a valid marriage certificate. But earlier plans to provide benefits to unmarried gay partners have been dropped, officials said Wednesday.

Military personnel in a same-sex relationship who are stationed in a state that does not permit same-sex marriage will be allowed to take leave for travel to a jurisdiction where they can marry legally.

"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," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a Pentagon spokesman.

Defense officials estimate there are 18,000 same-sex couples in the active-duty military, National Guard and Reserves and among military retirees. It's unclear how many of those are married.

A Pentagon ban on gays serving openly in the military was dropped in September 2011.

Glad this is finally over - Nice to see them going out of their way to let soldiers travel to states that allow SSM....

 

[Kadarin]

Cool.

 

[Nebor]

People are already throwing a fit that straight service members aren't given TDY for marriages.

 

[piasabird]

That can be kind of hard if you are stationed overseas. A lot of countries are not too friendly to same gender couples. I guess this also does away with dont ask dont tell, because you have to tell someone you are in a same gender marriage.

 

[thraashman]

That can be kind of hard if you are stationed overseas. A lot of countries are not too friendly to same gender couples. I guess this also does away with dont ask dont tell, because you have to tell someone you are in a same gender marriage.

Um, this doesn't do away with don't ask, don't tell. Congress did that when they repealed it almost 2 years ago.

 

[Ryan]

That can be kind of hard if you are stationed overseas. A lot of countries are not too friendly to same gender couples. I guess this also does away with dont ask dont tell, because you have to tell someone you are in a same gender marriage.

As the above posted already mentioned, DADT has been gone for a while.

I have seen many of my fellow military colleagues come out since it was struck down. It's not like they're busting out of the closet, but I've seen a slew of people who are now not afraid to be seen together with their significant other, not afraid to be open on places like Facebook, etc. It's been really nice to witness the burden lifted off of their sholders.

 

[Strk]

As the above posted already mentioned, DADT has been gone for a while.

I have seen many of my fellow military colleagues come out since it was struck down. It's not like they're busting out of the closet, but I've seen a slew of people who are now not afraid to be seen together with their significant other, not afraid to be open on places like Facebook, etc. It's been really nice to witness the burden lifted off of their sholders.

And here I thought it was going to be one giant cabaret.....

But what does TDY stand for?

 

[blankslate]

And here I thought it was going to be one giant cabaret.....

But what does TDY stand for?

TDY iirc stands for Temporary Duty.

For example if they send a military member to a class that only lasts for a few weeks it doesn't warrant the cost of processing them to a new duty station so they send them on TDY

 

[Londo_Jowo]

That can be kind of hard if you are stationed overseas. A lot of countries are not too friendly to same gender couples.

I suspect the military will inform those who are stationed overseas that they should be careful when off base as letting it be known they're a couple could pose an additional risk.

 

[Ackmed]

Sad day.

 

[SheHateMe]

Sad day.

Definitely a sad day for the haters and the homophobes.

 

[UberNeuman]

Sad day.

Don't be sad. I'm sure there's a man out there that will one day sweep you off your feet.

\those dainty little feet....

 

[Geosurface]

I've gotten to a very weird place in my views on this sort of thing.

I was in the Navy when DADT was repealed, and my submarine crew had about 3 openly gay sailors even prior to that. One of whom I was close friends with, and was a really cool guy. Another of whom was a little bit annoying but still very cool and I got along with. They were also finally lifting restrictions on women serving on subs. I got to see some of the first female ensigns coming along for a portion of a deployment.

I was fully, and strongly in favor of both developments at that time. In fact, I scolded several fellow sailors who were younger than myself and who I viewed as uneducated, right wing bumpkins about how it was a positive thing and as long as the person did the job as well as anyone else, what was the problem?

Since then I've had a lot of rethinking... I still wish we lived in the sort of world where these things just didn't matter, but I feel that the realities on the ground are often not as utopian as people would like.

I think that I've just become much more cynical about human nature in a whole host of ways.

So I guess where I'm at now is a mindset of still wishing I could have the same strong support for gay marriage, DADT repeal, females in special forces, females on subs, full benefits... etc etc, which I had at that time. I just am, unfortunately, no longer of the opinion that these sorts of utopian policy changes adequately take REALITY and human nature into account. I think our military and our society are potentially weakened by these sorts of developments. And that makes me really sad to think... and I'm hoping I'm wrong... but yea.

 

[sportage]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.
In the past SS marriage equality has been a duty won thru the courts.
But I predict from here on progression of SS marriage rights will be won thru and by the military.
That leading to eventual nationwide legality of SS marriage coast to coast.
The courts played an important role.
The military doesn't need court approval.