Legal Definitions - worldwide military-locator service

The worldwide military-locator service is an official system designed to identify the current duty station—meaning the assigned base or location—of individuals serving in any branch of the United States armed forces. This service is primarily used to help fulfill legal obligations, such as enforcing child support orders, but it is also accessible to military personnel, non-military individuals, and their legal representatives for other legitimate purposes. To utilize this service, the full name and Social Security number of the service member are typically required.

• Example 1: Child Support Enforcement

  Imagine Sarah, a divorced mother, needs to ensure her ex-husband, an active-duty Marine, continues to make his court-ordered child support payments. She suspects he has been transferred to a new base and needs his current duty station to update the child support agency or her attorney. The worldwide military-locator service allows her attorney to pinpoint his exact location, facilitating the enforcement of the support order.

  This example illustrates the primary function of the service: enabling individuals, often through legal channels, to find a service member's location to enforce financial obligations like child support.

• Example 2: Civil Litigation

  Consider Mr. Chen, a civilian who was involved in a car accident with a U.S. Army soldier. Mr. Chen's attorney needs to formally serve the soldier with a lawsuit to recover damages for vehicle repairs and medical bills. The attorney uses the worldwide military-locator service to find the soldier's current base and unit, ensuring the legal documents are delivered correctly and due process is followed.

  This demonstrates how the service is used by legal counsel for non-child support civil matters, allowing for proper legal notification when a service member is a party in a lawsuit.

• Example 3: Official Military or Government Need

  Suppose a military administrative office needs to locate a specific active-duty Navy sailor who has recently been transferred to a new command to deliver critical official paperwork related to an upcoming deployment. The office uses the worldwide military-locator service to confirm the sailor's current duty station, ensuring the timely delivery of important administrative or operational documents.

  This highlights the service's utility for official military personnel and agencies to track and communicate with active service members for administrative or operational necessities.