Military Officer - October 2008 - (Page 23) rapidfire F Cold War Gallery or nearly half a century, the U.S. Navy played a crucial role in the high-stakes Cold War conflict, but many Americans have little understanding of the contributions and sacrifices made by the Navy’s Cold War veterans. Hoping to change that, the National Museum for the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C., now has begun work on a new Cold War gallery. The new gallery will recognize the critical role Navy sailors held during the Cold War; organizers are planning to include exhibits about Korea, Vietnam, and the Soviet confrontation. Digital renditions, the floor plan of the new gallery, and more information can be found online at www.navyhistory.org. ASKBUD Does the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA) require division of military retired pay in a divorce? No. The USFSPA does not automatically divide retired pay as property. However, USFSPA does permit a court to award a portion of military retired pay to a former spouse as his or her property. This division is in addition to any other court-awarded spousal or child support or division of other marital property. The amount of a former spouse’s award entirely is a matter of state law. A court might award more than 50 percent of a retired servicemember’s pay to the former spouse as property, but the government is authorized to provide only up to 50 percent of disposable retired pay directly to the ex-spouse. A former spouse is not eligible for direct disbursement from the retiree’s financial center unless the marriage lasted at least 10 years of the servicemember’s career. Active duty and retired servicemembers are encouraged to use an attorney’s instructions for dividing retired pay and sample language for court orders offered by DFAS Retired and Annuitant Pay at http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/ garnishment/speech8.pdf. — Capt. Bud Schneeweis, USCG-Ret., is director of MOAA’s Benefits Information and Financial Education. ON THE WEB I Visit www.navyhistory.org. Click on the Cold War Gallery logo. Miscellany: Bring Furry Friends Home BRINGING CANINE FRIENDS HOME: For servicemembers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, local homeless dogs provide a source of comfort, giving them a chance to forget about the stresses of war. But when their tours of duty are over, servicemembers often are reluctant to leave behind their new canine friends. Operation Baghdad Pups, run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International, moves befriended dogs from war zones to loving homes in the U.S. For more information, visit www.baghdadpups.com. * HOW YOU CAN HELP: The U.S. Army has launched a new online resource designed to streamline and process gifts to the Army that benefit soldiers and their families. The Web site answers the question “How can I help?” and centralizes the different ways the public can assist the Army as part of the Army Gift Program. Learn more at http:// giftstoarmy.army.mil. * OPERATION HOMEFRONT: Wounded servicemembers being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., and National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., now can recuperate in furnished apartments with their families at Operation Homefront Village. The free transitional housing facility helps keep families together while loved ones receive treatment. Find out more at www.operationhomefront.net. PHOTOS: ABOVE, COURTESY NAVAL HISTORICAL FOUNDATION; RIGHT, STEVE BARRETT OCTOBER 2008 * MILITARY OFFICER 23 http://www.navyhistory.org http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/garnishment/speech8.pdf http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/garnishment/speech8.pdf http://www.navyhistory.org http://www.baghdadpups.com http://giftstoarmy.army.mil http://giftstoarmy.army.mil http://www.operationhomefront.net
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