Pentagon: Military chaplains may wed gay couples

Gays in the military can wed their partners on base with a military chaplain -- if the ceremony is in a state where gay marriage is legal and the chaplain's religious affiliation permits clergy to officiate at same-sex marriages, according to Religion News Service.

The CNN Belief Blog writes that the two paragraph Pentagon memo, made public Friday,

... carefully stops short of fully embracing the idea of same-sex marriage, saying that "a military chaplain's participation in a private ceremony does not constitute an endorsement of the ceremony by DoD" (the Department of Defense).

The chaplain corps has been in uproar over DADT -- pro and con -- for years and conservative Christian groups say ending the policy puts chaplains in a religious liberty bind. During the summer, the U.S.House of Representatives tried unsuccessfully to block gay weddings on bases.

But even for couples who do wed, benefits won't change much:

Existing standards of personal conduct, such as those pertaining to public displays of affection, will continue regardless of sexual orientation.

There will be no immediate changes to eligibility for military benefits. All servicemembers are already entitled to certain benefits, such as designating a partner as a life insurance beneficiary or as a caregiver in the Wounded Warrior program.