All National Guards are now processing military benefits for servicemembers who are in same-sex marriages under a directive issued by the Pentagon, The Washington Post reported.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made the announcement Dec. 13, about five months after he made the initial policy change that enabled same-sex military spouses to receive entitlements such as military identification cards and survivors benefits.
"All of DOD is committed to pursuing equal opportunities for all who serve this nation, and I will continue to work to ensure our men and women in uniform as well as their families have full and equal access to the benefits they deserve," Hagel said, as quoted by the news source.
Several states resisted processing the military benefits for the spouses of gay servicemembers because of their laws regarding same-sex marriages, according to the news source. The National Guard forces in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia forced same-sex military couples to travel to federal installations to receive the benefits, even though the initial directive from the Pentagon mandated that state offices grant these entitlements.
The Washington Post previously reported that defense officials began working with officials from these hold-out states in late October to strike a deal that would grant same-sex servicemembers their entitlements without conflicting with each state's bans on recognizing gay marriage.