Hagel: Same-sex benefits for troops’ spouses ready to go in all states

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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/13/hagel-same-sex-benefits-troops-spouses-ready-go-al/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

The nine remaining states that were refusing to extend full benefits to troops with same-sex spouses have formerly dropped their opposition.

“All military spouses and families sacrifice on behalf of our country,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement Friday, the Military Times reported. “They deserve our respect and the benefits they are entitled to under the law.”

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One of the biggest barriers for officials to overcome has been the issuance of military identification cards for spouses in states that bar same-sex marriages. States such as Florida, Oklahoma, and South Carolina had to move National Guard ID card machines to facilities on federal installations to avoid problems with state laws, according to the Times.

Officials from Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia have all had their legal concerns resolved by the National Guard Bureau, Mr. Hagel said.