Claim for Deceased Army Member's Retired Pay

The Army requested a decision concerning whether a deceased Army member's widow was entitled to receive his unpaid retired pay, since the member had designated his first wife as his beneficiary. GAO held that, since the Army could not locate the designated beneficiary within 3 years after the member's death, the widow, as the surviving spouse and the person next in order of precedence, was entitled to receive the unpaid retired pay. Accordingly, the claim was allowed.