“The June 26, 2015, Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States. This law permits same-sex couples to marry and to have access to the same basic rights and federal and other employment benefits afforded to opposite-sex couples who choose to marry.” “SSDPs of Federal employees may choose to marry their Federal employee partners on or before December 31, 2016, to continue receiving all previously authorized benefits.”The DoD in its FAQ document addresses a question that many same-sex civilian military employees will likely ask: “Is the Department forcing me to make a choice between marrying my SSDP and keeping the benefits?” The answer, is yes: