Texas Military Forces announced the Texas National Guard and Department of Defense came to an agreement on the processing of same-sex spouses for federal military benefits.
The DOD has approved a new procedure for enrolling National Guard members and their dependents in benefits programs that recognizes the conflict between the Texas Constitution and DOD policy mandating the enrollment of same-gender dependent spouses in benefits programs.
“Under the new procedure, DOD will provide federal personnel, funding and the use of federal personnel systems to enroll all dependents, including those in same-sex marriages, in benefits programs. This solution ensures that no Texas National Guard personnel in a state status will violate the Texas Constitution,” Texas Military Forces wrote in its press release.
Texas will register personnel at all five National Guard bases, but only federal employees will do the registrations.
“The personnel, funding, and systems being used previously to process these enrollments were already federally funded,” said Stephen Peters, president of American Military Partner Association.
Oklahoma came to a similar agreement last week that equally inconveniences gay and straight couples. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin decided all National Guard personnel must register for benefits at a federal base or at one of the federally operated National Guard bases in the state.
