For LGBT troops, DOMA ruling a pocketbook issue

The Supreme Court’s ruling on the federal Defense of Marriage Act won’t just be a question of fairness for some 17,000 troops and military retirees, advocates say — it’s also a major pocketbook issue. Although the Defense Department earlier this year offered same-sex couples some of the same benefits as heterosexual troops, it could only go so far because of restrictions under the 1996 marriage law. So activists want a court ruling that allows for total equality, which would also give troops, retirees and their families access to services and benefits worth a lot of money.