(Bloomberg) -- The Pentagon said last week’s Supreme Court ruling ending a woman’s right to an abortion will have a limited impact on the Defense Department’s existing policies although it will have “significant implications” on service members and other beneficiaries. 

“The Supreme Court’s decision does not prohibit the department from continuing to perform covered abortions, consistent with federal law,” according to a memo Tuesday by Under Secretary of Defense Gilbert Cisneros Jr. 

But federal law already limits the Defense Department to performing abortions -- or paying to have them performed --only in cases in which the life of the mother is endangered or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. 

The memo acknowledges that service members, civilian employees and other Pentagon staff and their families are likely to find their options for getting abortions limited under the ruling. That will particularly be so for people based in states where abortion is now entirely illegal or about to be curtailed. Cisneros’s memo says the department is continuing to review the ruling’s impact.  

“Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our service members, the civilian workforce, and DoD families, and we are committed to taking care of all of our people and ensuring that the entire force remains ready and resilient,” Cisneros wrote. 

Pentagon Under Pressure After Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision

The court’s ruling doesn’t affect the Defense Department’s policies regarding travel for abortion. Service members can travel at the government’s expense for covered abortions or take leave and travel at their own expense in other cases. Civilian employees can take leave “to meet the health care needs of the employees and his or her family members,” according to the memo. 

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