Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Thursday issued a directive that was meant to reassure military service members that the agency will provide funds to allow them to travel and gain access to abortion.
The official said that the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade would not leave troops without access to the procedure, which is the case in several states. Austin said that the Pentagon would provide financial and other support for women who are seeking abortions but are based in states where the procedure has been considered illegal.
Pentagon Support for Abortion
The directive also tells commanders not to ask too many questions when women request leave for reproductive health care reasons. The Pentagon chief said that officials had heard from many service members and their families about the complexity and uncertainty of the situation regarding access to reproductive health care.
Austin has instructed Defense Department health care providers not to disclose reproductive health information to commanders unless such info poses a risk to the mission. The directive also advises the Pentagon to develop a program to support and reimburse healthcare providers who are fined or targeted by states for providing the procedure, as per the New York Times.
The official directed the services to implement the new changes by the end of the year. However, it was not clear whether or not the directive would give women in the military who are seeking abortion for unwanted pregnancies the protection to do so in medically safe ways.
In June, the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade became one of the defining issues in the midterm elections, prompting Democrats to pledge to seek to expand access to the procedure if they are returned to control both houses of Congress.
According to the Associated Press, this week, United States President Joe Biden promised that the first bill he sends to Capitol Hill next year will be one that enshrines abortion protections into law. However, this could only be done if Democrats control enough seats in Congress to pass the legislation.
New Guidelines
Furthermore, the high court ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case removed women's constitutional protections for abortion and gave states the authority to determine whether the procedure is legal within their borders. In the following months, abortion has been banned or sharply restricted in more than a dozen states.
The new guidelines were made so that local commanders are not allowed to influence whether service members get access to care or face a culture where they or their dependents do not come forward out of fear of repercussions.
The directive also builds on an initial reaction by the Pentagon in June, when, only days after the Supreme Court's ruling, said it would continue to allow medical leave for service members who needed to travel out of state to get abortions. However, the agency noted it needed to review the court ruling and subsequent state laws to see if further guidance was needed.
The decision comes as many states that banned abortion are home to large-scale military installations. One example is Fort Hood, which is located in Texas, which is home to an active military population of more than 40,000, not including civilian family members of service members stationed there, Fox News reported.