The Department of Defense today announced its plan to extend benefits to same-sex spouses of uniformed service members and Department of Defense civilian employees.
The change comes after a review of the department's benefit policies following the Supreme Court's ruling that Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, according to a news release.
Entitlements such as TRICARE enrollment, basic allowance for housing and family separation allowance are retroactive to the date of the Supreme Court's decision, the department announced. Any claims to entitlements before that date will not be granted.
In the release, the Department of Defense said it recognizes that same-sex military couples who are not stationed in a jurisdiction that permits same-sex marriage would have to travel to another jurisdiction to marry. Therefore, the department will implement policies to allow non-chargeable leave for the purpose of traveling to a place they can marry.