The Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act and You!

Did you know that the inequities of the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA) will continue to persist so long as:

• Divorced military veterans are not being provided the same protection under law as are their civilian contemporaries? Both members of military marriages are not being treated fairly and equitably in divorce court?
• The ex-spouse groups continue to retain an agenda of 17 'fixes' to the USFSPA to further unbalance it in their favor?
• Congress refuses to amend the USFSPA to terminate payments upon remarriage of the benefiting ex-spouse, eliminate the "windfall benefit", and add a statute of limitations - while unconcernedly continuing to add the additional burdens of legislation enacted without public hearing or debate?
• Members of Congress continue to be intimidated by the feminist voting bloc?
• The IRS continues to tax, as income, retirement pay reclassified, by the federal government, as property?
• Military people are being treated differently, in divorce court, from other federal employees (e.g., the Foreign Service and the CIA) and, for that matter, all other US citizens?
• The USFSPA permits the contemporaneous award of retirement pay as marital property, alimony, and child support which can aggregate to 100%?
• The government continues to renege on providing retirement benefits promised to military members at the time of enlistment?
• No consideration at all is given to the disparities in financial circumstances between enlisted and officer personnel which are aggravated by the USFSPA?
• The military member is being treated, under federal law, as always 'wearing the black hat' in a divorce action while it is assumed that there are no miscreant wives?
• Loopholes exist which eliminate the protection of disability pay embodied in the USFSPA?
• USFSPA beneficiaries (viz. ex-spouses) who are 'in the catbird seat' with no reason to make concessions, refuse to compromise in the interests of fairness and equity for both sides?
• Traditional male gallantry fails to produce a large enough number of female victims of the USFSPA to generate a feminist groundswell for a fair and equitable USFSPA?
• The nation fails to upgrade and update its appreciation of the economic and political gains realized by women since 1982, and the suitability of the USFSPA as a tool for guaranteeing the protection of the modern day spouse of a military member?
• Military members impacted by the USFSPA fail to get personally involved in the political process of reforming the USFSPA?