Defense Department Offers Limited Benefits To Military Same-Sex Partners
By Zack Ford posted from ThinkProgress LGBT on Feb 11, 2013 at 12:40 pm
It took 17 months, but the Defense Department has finally issued guidance about benefits that can be extended to the same-sex partners of military servicemembers now that Dont Ask, Dont Tell no longer requires that they hide their identities. The list does not address some serious issues of concern, including health care, housing, and survivor benefits because of the Defense of Marriage Act, but does allow servicemembers to designate specific protections to their partners, including some through the recognition of a domestic partnership. Here are a few of the new benefits:
Member-Designated Benefits
Service Members Group Life Insurance Beneficiary
Veterans Group Life Insurance Beneficiary
Survivor Benefit Plan Beneficiary for Retirees
Casualty Notification
Designation of Persons Having Interest in Status of a Missing Member
Hospital Visitation Privileges
Designation of Persons Authorized to Direct Disposition of Remains of Members of the Armed Force
Presentation of the Flag of the United States
Additional Benefits for Same-Sex Domestic Partners
Dependent ID cards
Commissary Privileges
Exchange Privileges
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs
Emergency Leave
Youth Programs
Family Center Programs
Child Care
Legal Assistance
Joint Duty Assignments
The memo announcing the benefits notes that should the Defense of Marriage Act no longer apply to the department, policy will be to construe the words spouse and marriage without regard to sexual orientation, and married couples, irrespective of sexual orientation, and their dependents, will be granted full military benefits. It also contains a new process for same-sex couples to declare to the military that they are, in fact, domestic partners, which presumably even couples that are already married would have to fulfill to receive the benefits.
OutServe-SLDN praised outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for getting us a few steps closer to full equality.
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/02/11/1570481/military-same-sex-benefits/