With part of the Defense of Marriage Act struck down, one couple in Alaska is taking advantage of a new rule that will let their relationship be recognized in the U.S. military.
Jen Theulen, with Alaska's Air National Guard, and Nicole Carrier, a former Marine, left for Seattle, Washington to get married so their union would be legally recognized by the U.S. military, according to KTVA.
The military has said it will extend benefits to couples married in a state where it's legal, regardless of where the couple is stationed. The Pentagon is giving gay and lesbian service members up to seven days of nonchargeable leave to travel to states where they can legally marry. And that will lead to the extension of important benefits.
Still, it's not always clear whether a couple married from a state that doesn't recognize same-sex marriage will be recognized by the federal government. An Ohio couple flew to Marlyand after the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of DOMA and was married at the airport. One of the men is terminally ill. And the court said Ohio had to recognize their marriage on the man's death certificate.