Stepchildren Entitlement to Dependent Allowances of Military Member

A Navy disbursing officer requested an advance decision as to whether a Naval officer's stepchildren were in fact dependent upon the officer for purposes of computing his overseas station allowances. The stepchildren had an independent source of support which provided most of their necessities, including shelter, food, clothing, and health care. Although the officer contributed substantially to furnish his stepchildren with luxuries and to raise their standard of living, they could not be regarded as dependent upon him for their basic needs. Accordingly, the officer was not entitled to station allowances on their behalf.