Q. I am the former wife of an Air Force serviceman. After we divorced in 1984, I was awarded 40% of his military retirement pension. Where can I find the amount of his monthly pension cheque? I'm concerned because there hasn't be an increase in the money I'm receiving for over five years. I sent my documentation to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service ("DFAS"), but to no avail. Their advice was to contact the FOIA office, which I did about a month ago by email. I still haven't received a response.
A. You may want to consult the DFAS's FOIA website to make sure that you filed your request in accordance with the agency's procedures. You should have at least received an acknowledgment of receipt by now. Consider re-filing your request or contacting the DFAS FOIA staff. Contact information for the FOIA public liaison officer is available here. Be advised that some records pertaining to your ex-husband's pension may be protected by the Privacy Act and, therefore, may not be available for public disclosure. If you still have trouble getting the information you need, you may want to consider seeking the advice of a lawyer who specializes in divorce law.