Men wed as 'don't ask, don't tell' ends

DUXBURY, Vt. -- When Navy Lt. Gary Ross and his partner were searching for a place to get married, they settled on a site in Vermont, in part because the state is in the Eastern time zone.

That way, the two men could recite their vows at the first possible moment after the formal repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Just after midnight, the partners of 11 years were married, as the ban ended.

"We feel that it's important that as soon as we're allowed to commit to each other that we do," Ross said Monday. "It's important not to hide anymore."

Hours before the change took effect early today, the military was making final preparations for the historic policy shift. The Pentagon announced it was already accepting applications from openly gay candidates, although officials said they would wait a day before reviewing them.

Ross, 33, and Dan Swezy, 49, a civilian, traveled from their home in Tucson, Ariz., so they could be married in Vermont, the first state to allow gays to enter into civil unions and one of six that have legalized same-sex marriage.

Ross wore his dark blue dress uniform with several medals for the ceremony that began at 11:45 p.m. yesterday at Duxbury's Moose Meadow Lodge, a log cabin bed-and-breakfast perched on a hillside about 15 miles northwest of Montpelier. The lodge says it hosted the state's first gay wedding in 2009.

Justice of the Peace Greg Trulson presided.

"This is Gary's official coming out," Trulson said.

Pentagon press secretary George Little said the military is prepared for the end of "don't ask, don't tell," a practice adopted in 1993 that allowed gays to serve as long as they did not openly acknowledge their sexual orientation. Commanders were not allowed to ask.

Last week, the Pentagon said 97 percent of the military has undergone training in the new law. In preparation for the repeal, all branches of the military have spent several months updating regulations.

President Barack Obama signed the law in December and in July certified that lifting the ban will not diminish the military's ability to fight. Some in Congress remain opposed to the repeal, arguing that it may undermine order and discipline.

There will be no immediate changes to eligibility for military benefits. All service members 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. But Swezy won't receive military health insurance or access to a support group when Ross is at sea.

Gay marriage is an even thornier issue. A Navy proposal to train chaplains to conduct same-sex civil unions in states where they are legal was shelved this year after many lawmakers objected. The Pentagon is reviewing the issue.