[Claim for Deceased Army Member's Retired Pay]

A deceased retired Army member's widow appealed a retired pay claim settlement, contending that she, not the decedent's daughter, was the proper beneficiary for the arrears of her husband's retirement pay. The Army advised that the decedent failed to have two people witness his signing a change-of-beneficiary application form. GAO held that neither the law nor Army regulation required witnesses of signatures on letters requesting changes in beneficiaries. Accordingly, the widow's claim was allowed, and GAO recommended that the Army recoup the payment it made to the decedent's daughter and pay it to his widow.