Commissary privileges, family center programs, dependent I.D. cards, joint duty assignments and space-available travel on military aircraft are among the military benefits the Pentagon will now extend to same-sex partners, outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Monday.
His announcement follows the word that broke last week about the Defense Department's plans to extend many benefits to same-sex partners and their dependents since the "don't ask, don't tell" policy has been discontinued.
Some benefits cannot, because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, be extended to same-sex partners. But Panetta's announcement says that these benefits will be extended to such partners:
-- Dependent I.D. cards
-- Commissary privileges
-- Exchange privileges
-- Morale, welfare and recreation programs
-- Surveys of military familes
-- Quadrennial quality of life review
-- Emergency leave
-- Emergency leave of absence
-- Youth sponsorship program
-- Youth programs
-- Family center programs
-- Sexual assault counseling program
-- Joint duty assignments
-- Exemption from hostile-fire areas
-- Transportation to and from certain places of employment and on military installations
-- Transportation to and from primary and secondary school for minor dependents
-- Authority of service secretary to transport remains of a dependent
-- Disability and death compensation: dependents of members held as captives
-- Payments to missing persons
-- Space-available travel on DoD aircraft
-- Child care
-- Legal assistance
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