US President Barack Obama is to sign a landmark law allowing gay people serving in the military to be open about their sexuality.
Mr Obama had campaigned to change the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, overturned by Congress last week.
More than 13,000 service members have been dismissed under the policy, enacted under President Bill Clinton in 1993 as a compromise.
Opponents argue that the change will damage troop morale at a time of war.
But earlier this month, a Pentagon report said that allowing openly gay troops would have little impact on the cohesion of US forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The outgoing Senate and House of Representatives approved the new law last week, with moderate Republicans joining the Democratic majority.
So many activists are expected at the signing ceremony that the White House has booked a larger room for the event.
But correspondents say that the planned celebration parties by gay rights campaigners and members of the military may be premature.
Guidelines need to be finalised on practical questions ranging from how to educate troops to how sexual preference should be handled when army staff are organising sleeping arrangements in military barracks.
Those guidelines need to be signed off by President Obama, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
And even once that is complete, the new law will not officially take effect for another 60 days. Until then, the current ban remains in place.
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