THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 1, 1995 TAG: 9503010506
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICHARD GRIMES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
I am divorced from a retired Navy person. The judge ordered him to pay maintenance to me every month, but he doesn't do it. He lives in another state, and I cannot afford a lawyer to help me. Do you know of anyone who helps military dependents with legal advice?
If a judge ordered your ex-husband to pay maintenance, then this is probably a civil matter and your best bet is to find a lawyer who knows a way around this kind of legal wrangle.
Navy Family Services, though, may look out for you even if you're no longer part of a military family. If you call your local center, they will advise you what kind information and counseling you are eligible for.
One of the resources they can provide is a general guideline concerning the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act, which explains what former spouses are eligible for, depending on the length of their marriage and the active-duty service of the military person. Possible benefits include health care and military privileges.
Even better, The Navy Family Services center that I called provided me with the name and phone number of a support group called EXPOSE - or Ex-Partners of Servicemen for Equality. The local chapter meets at the Bayside Presbyterian Church the second Sunday of most months at 2 p.m. For information, call Ruth Rogers at 440-1589.
You've had a chart showing the Air Force's progress in getting service members to leave using measures like voluntary separation incentives. How close did the Air Force come to meeting its goal?
The Air Force has done well nudging troops out of the branch and back into the civilian world. Both officers and enlisted left in numbers beyond the Air Force goals.
The service used three programs to meet its force-reduction goals: voluntary separation incentive, special separation benefit and early retirement. Voluntary separation incentive is a one-time dispersal of money given to separating service members. Special separation benefit is money paid out over a period of time to departing people. Early retirement allows service members to retire early and still maintain some part of their accrued retirement benefits.
The enlisted goal using these programs was 16,600 members. Though more enlisted took advantage of the special separation benefit (7,857 members), it was closely trailed by early retirement (7,455 members). Of the 16,891 total enlisted who took advantage of the three programs, only 1,579 used the Voluntary Separation Incentive.
The goal for officers, 1,700, was exceeded by 145. The totals were, early retirement, 889; voluntary separation, 580; and special separation, 376.
These figures reflect the 1995 fiscal year. Since their inception, the three programs have coaxed more than 11,000 officers and 64,000 enlisted people to leave the Air Force. The 1996 reduction program is expected to be announced in mid-March. by CNB