A lot has happened in the past few months for the LGBT community within the Military. Same-Sex Marriage is now recognized in all 50 states. What does that mean for Same-Sex Couples and Military Benefits? There are many benefits you are entitled to and can now receive. Know what you’re benefits are and use them.

Becoming a Military Spouse is something that tends to happen to you. What do you do? How do you find information? For as long as I can remember if you were gay or lesbian and wanted to be married and have a family it wasn’t an option while serving in the Military. There are a few websites like AMPA that provide LGBT Military Families with information.

However, it wasn’t long ago that online information for LGBT Military Families wasn’t readily available. Long seeded in Military culture was the idea to expel anyone who did not conform to the social norms of relationships.

“In October 1949, the newly consolidated Department of Defense standardized anti-homosexual regulations across all branches of the military: “Homosexual personnel, irrespective of sex, should not be permitted to serve in any branch of the Armed Forces in any capacity, and prompt separation of known homosexuals from the Armed Forces is mandatory.”

Of course in the late 1970’s to mid 1980’s the LGBT community became fiercely passionate with new social movements boiling over in the US at the time. Leonard Matlovich  filed a lawsuit challenging the military’s ban on gays. “Matlovich was the first gay service member to purposely out himself to the military to fight their ban on gays, and perhaps the best-known gay man in America in the 1970s next to Harvey Milk.”

As the dust settled in the early 1990’s a  policy called  Don’t ask, don’t tell (DADT) came along lasting from 1993-2011 “restricting the United States military from efforts to discover or reveal closeted gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members or applicants, while barring those that are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service.” Military personnel could be dishonorably discharged if they identified as gay or lesbian. Previous generations of gay and lesbians military personnel were denied the very rights they were fighting for.

I have created an extensive list of benefits all military families can enjoy today thanks to the US Supreme Court ruling in favor of Nationwide Same-Sex Marriage on June 26^th 2015.

General Basic Benefits for All Branches of the Military

Medical

• Spousal Identification Card – Military ID’s allows you access to your benefits.
• TRICARE medical insurance coverage – TRICARE is the health care program for beneficiaries worldwide.

Legal

• Access to free legal assistance – Includes Estate planning, Drafting powers of attorney and much more.
• Command-sponsored visas
• Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) – is a federal law that provides protections for military members as they enter active duty.

Housing & Finance

• Joint Duty Assignments
• Dependent-rate housing allowance
• Family separation allowance
• Ability to move off base to live with a spouse
• The Family Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program

Home Life

• Military OneSource Offers Peer-to-Peer Support
• Access to military installations and facilities, including: base; commissaries; exchanges; Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) centers; Family Center programs

Job Assistance

• The Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP)
• The Military Spouse Preference Program (MSP)
• The Employment Readiness Program (ERP)
• Small business loan programs (the Patriot Express Program)
• Reduced-rate Life Insurance (the Family Service Members’ Group Life Insurance Program)

Education

• Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer-ability
• Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
• Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program (SSEAP)
• Overseas Spouse Education Assistance Program (OSEAP)
• Survivor’s and Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA)

Military Spouse Benefits by Service Branch

Army Spouse Benefits

• Army Spouse & Dependents Education Programs
• SOCAD (Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Army)
• Army Emergency Relief (AER) Programs
• The Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program (SEAP)
• The Spouse Education Assistance Program (EAP)
• James Holbrook Military Spouse Scholarship

Navy Spouse Benefits

• Navy Spouse & Dependents Education Programs
• SOCNAV (Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Navy)
• The Navy Maine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
• Spouse Tuition Aid Program (STAP)
• Vice Admiral (VADM) E.P. Travers Scholarship & Loan Program

Air Force Spouse Benefits

• Air Force Spouse & Dependents Education Programs
• Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Air Force
• Air Force Aid Society (AFAS)
• General Henry H.  Arnold Education Grant Program
• General George S. Brown Spouse Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)

Marine Corps Spouse Benefits

• Marine Corps Spouse & Dependents Education Programs
• SOCMAR (Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Marine Corps)
• The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
• The Admiral Mike Boorda Seaman-to-Admiral Educational Assistance Program
• The Spouse Tuition Aid Program (STAP)
• Vice Admiral (VADM) E.P. Travers Scholarship & Loan Program

Coast Guard Spouse Benefits

• Coast Guard Spouse & Dependents Education Programs
• SOCCOAST (Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Coast Guard)
• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)
• The Coast Guard Foundation

Veteran’s Benefits

• State Veteran’s Benefits – Each State has special benefits for Veteran’s residing in their counties see if you quality today.

I know it might seem overwhelming trying to figure out all your benefits and what you might need but I hope this listing helps you!

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