Same-sex Ft. Bliss Apache helicopter pilots marry at West Point

Two Army captains who met at West Point have returned there to be married, in what is believed to be the first same-sex marriage of active-duty personnel at the storied New York military academy.

The New York Times reports Captains Daniel Hall and Vincent Franchino were married on Jan. 13. They’re both Apache helicopter pilots stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

The men met in August 2009, when Franchino was a freshman and Hall was a senior. Their first date was in February 2012 in Washington, some months after the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was repealed in September 2011.

That policy, in place since 1993, barred any gay person from disclosing their sexual orientation or talking about any same-sex relationship.

Vincent Franchino were married on Jan. 13. They’re both Apache helicopter pilots stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

The men met in August 2009, when Franchino was a freshman and Hall was a senior. Their first date was in February 2012 in Washington, some months after the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was repealed in September 2011. That policy, in place since 1993, barred any gay person from disclosing their sexual orientation or talking about any same-sex relationship.