[Question Concerning Relief for Military Disbursing Officers]

In response to an Air Force request, GAO addressed the question of whether it will relieve military officers from liability for altered paper checks if the amount did not appear on the check in words. GAO has held that an accountable officer who conforms to federal regulations and does not act negligently may be relieved from liability. Because applicable Department of the Treasury regulations permit use of figures without words to indicate check amounts, an Air Force disbursing officer may not be denied relief solely for using numbers.