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Same-sex US military couples to get family benefits
The Pentagon will extend some family benefits to same-sex partners of US military members, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said.

The benefits include child care, legal help, joint duty assignments, emergency leave, and transportation.

Others such as healthcare and housing allowances cannot be offered without a change in federal law, he said.

The move comes more than two years after the US Congress repealed a ban on openly gay military members.

Mr Panetta said he had ordered each military service to make the changes by 1 October.

"It is a matter of fundamental equity that we provide similar benefits to all of those men and women in uniform who serve their country," Mr Panetta said on Monday.
Posted by: tipper 2013-02-12
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=362154