§ 112.7 - Responsibilities.

§ 112.7 Responsibilities.

(a) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall:

(1) In consultation with the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), establish procedures for the processing of debt complaints.

(2) Have policy oversight on the assistance to be provided by military authorities to creditors of military personnel who have legitimate debt complaints.

(b) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall:

(1) In consultation with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness establish procedures for processing debt complaints, and administer and process involuntary allotments from the pay of members of the Military Services. This includes the authority to promulgate forms necessary for the efficient administration and processing of involuntary allotments.

(2) Ensure that the Director, Defense Finance and Accounting Service:

(i) Implements procedures established by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

(ii) Considers whether Servicemembers Civil Relief Act 50 U.S.C. Appendix, sections 501-591 has been complied with pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5520a(k) prior to establishing an involuntary allotment against the pay of a member of the Military Services.

(iii) Publishes, prints, stocks, redistributes, and revises DoD forms necessary to process involuntary allotments.

(c) The Heads of the DoD Components shall urge military personnel to meet their just financial obligations, since failure to do so damages their credit reputation and affects the public image of all DoD personnel. See DoD Directive 5500.7.^[2]

(d) The Secretaries of the Military Departments shall:

(1) Establish, as necessary, procedures to administer and process involuntary allotments from the pay of members of the Military Services. This includes designating those commanders, or other officials who may act in the absence of the commander, who shall be responsible for determining whether a member's absence from a judicial proceeding was caused by exigencies of military duty, and establishing appeal procedures regarding such determinations.

(2) Require commanders to counsel members to pay their just debts, including complying, as appropriate, with court orders and judgments for the payments of alimony or child support.

(3) Emphasize prompt command action to assist with the processing of involuntary allotment applications.

(e) The Chief, Office of Personnel and Training, for the Coast Guard shall:

(1) Establish, as necessary, procedures supplemental to those promulgated by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness or the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) to administer and process involuntary allotment from the pay of members of the Military Services; this includes the authority to promulgate forms necessary for the efficient administration and processing of involuntary allotments.

(2) Ensure that the Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center:

(i) Implements procedures established by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Chief, Office of Personnel and Training.

(ii) Considers whether the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, as amended (50 U.S.C. Appendix, sections 501-591) has been complied with pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5520a(k) prior to establishing an involuntary allotment against the pay of a member of the Military Services.

(iii) Acts as the Coast Guard manager for forms necessary to process involuntary allotments.

Footnotes - 112.7

^[2] See footnote 1 to § 112.4(a)(1).