Navy Jumps Ship on DOMA

As part of last month's training on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal, our troops learned how to respond if they saw two male Marines kissing. But what if those two Marines are kissing... at the altar? According to the U.S. Navy, that's okay too. Two weeks ago, the Office of Navy Chaplains shocked everyone by ordering their corps to toss the old training materials and replace them with a version that's more accepting of same-sex "marriage." Citing "additional legal review," the Navy says it "has concluded that... if the base is located in a state where same-sex marriage is legal, then the base facilities may be used to celebrate the marriage... This is a change to previous training that stated same-sex marriages are not authorized on federal property."

Further down, the letter also gives chaplains permission to "marry" homosexuals. "Regarding chaplain participation... a chaplain may officiate a same-sex, civil marriage: if it is conducted in accordance with the laws of the state which permits same-sex marriages or union." So far, the Navy's decision has gone virtually undetected by the media--even though it violates the most fundamental aspects of repeal. During last year's debate, liberals in the administration and Congress assured us that the military would still be governed by the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Even the Pentagon's own materials remind service members that the new policy will not affect benefits, since those are awarded based on the federal definition of marriage.