This subpart explains terms used in this part. It states basic Air Force claims policy and identifies proper claimants.

(a) Authorized agent. Any person or corporation, including a legal representative, empowered to act on a claimant's behalf.

(b) Civilian personnel. Civilian employees of the Air Force who are paid from appropriated or nonappropriated funds. They include prisoners of war, interned enemy aliens performing paid labor, and volunteer workers except for claims under the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act.

(c) Claim. Any signed written demand made on or by the Air Force for the payment of a sum certain. It does not include any obligations incurred in the regular procurement of services, supplies, equipment, or real estate. An oral demand made under Article 139, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is sufficient.

(d) Claimant. An individual, partnership, association, corporation, country, state, territory, or its political subdivisions, and the District of Columbia. The U.S. Government or any of its instrumentalities may be a claimant in admiralty, tort, carrier recovery and hospital recovery claims in favor of the United States.

(e) Geographic area of claims responsibility. The base Staff Judge Advocate's (SJA's) jurisdiction for claims. CONUS jurisdictional areas are designated by AFLOA/JACC on maps distributed to the field. HQ PACAF, HQ USAFE, and HQ 9AF SJAs designate these areas within their jurisdictions. DOD assigns areas of single service responsibility to each military department.

(f) AFLOA/JACC. Claims and Tort Litigation Division, 1500 West Perimeter Road, Suite 1700, Joint Base Andrews, MD 20762.

(g) Owner. A holder of a legal title or an equitable interest in certain property. Specific examples include:

(1) For real property. The mortgagor, and the mortgagee if that individual can maintain a cause of action in the local courts involving a tort to that specific property.

(2) For personal property. A bailee, lessee, mortgagee and a conditional vendee. A mortgagor, conditional vendor, title loan company or someone else other than the owner, who has the title for purposes of security are not owners.

(h) HQ PACAF. Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, HI 96853-5001.

(i) Personal injury. The term “personal injury” includes both bodily injury and death.

(j) Property damage. Damage to, loss of, or destruction of real or personal property.

(k) Settle. To consider and pay, or deny a claim in full or in part.

(l) Single Base General Court-Martial Jurisdiction (GCM). For claims purposes, a base legal office serving the commander who exercises GCM authority over that base, or that base and other bases.

(m) Subrogation. The act of assuming the legal rights of another after paying a claim or debt, for example, an insurance company (subrogee) paying its insured's (subrogor's) claim, thereby assuming the insured's right of recovery.

(n) HQ USAFE. Headquarters, United States Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, APO NY 09012-5001.

(a) Appellate authority. The individual authorized to review the final decision of a settlement authority upon appeal or reconsideration.

(b) Settlement authority. The individual or foreign claims commission authorized to settle a claim upon its initial presentation.

File a claim at the base legal office of the unit or installation at or nearest to where the accident or incident occurred. If the accident or incident occurred in a foreign country where no Air Force unit is located, file the claim with the Defense Attache (DATT) or Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) personnel authorized to receive claims (DIAM 100-1 and AFR 400-45). In a foreign country where a claimant is unable to obtain adequate assistance in filing a claim, the claimant may contact the nearest Air Force SJA. The SJA then advises AFLOA/JACC through claims channels of action taken and states why the DATT or MAAG was unable to adequately assist the claimant.

Any signed written demand on the Air Force for a sum certain is sufficient to file a claim. The claimant should use these forms when filing a claim:

(a) Claim processed under the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act. Use AF Form 180, Claim for Loss of or Damage to Personal Property Incident to Service, or DD Forms 1842, Claim for Personal Property Against the United States, and 1844, Schedule of Property and Claim Analysis Chart, to file the claim.

(b) Claim processed under international agreements. Use any form specified by the host country.

(c) Any other type claim. Use SF 95, Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death.

The claimant or authorized agent signs the claim form in ink using the first name, middle initial, and last name.

(a) Claim filed by an individual. (1) A married woman signs her name, for example, Mary A. Doe, rather than Mrs. John Doe.

(2) An authorized agent signing for a claimant shows, after the signature, the title or capacity and attaches evidence of authority to present a claim on behalf of the claimant as agent, executor, administrator, parent, guardian, or other representative; for example, John Doe by Richard Roe, Attorney in Fact. A copy of a current and valid power of attorney, court order, or other legal document is sufficient evidence of the agent's authority.

(b) Claim with joint interest. Where a joint ownership or interest in real property exists, all joint owners must sign the claim form. This includes a husband and wife signing a claim if the claim is for property damage. However, only the military member or civilian employee signs the claim form for a claim under the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act.

(c) Claim filed by a corporation. (1) A corporate officer signing the form must show title or capacity and affix the corporate seal (if any) to the claim form.

(2) If the person signing the claim is other than the corporate officer they must:

(i) Attach to the claim form a certification by a proper corporate officer that the individual is an agent of the corporation duly authorized to file and settle the claim;

(ii) Affix to the claim form the corporate seal (if any) to the certification.

(d) Claim filed by a partnership. A partner must sign the form showing his or her title as partner and list the full name of the partnership.

(a) Property damage. The owner or owners of the property or their authorized agent may file a claim for property damage.

(b) Personal injury or death. (1) The injured person or authorized agent may file a claim for personal injury.

(2) The duly appointed guardian of a minor child or any other person legally entitled to do so under applicable local law may file a claim for a minor's personal injury.

(3) The executor or administrator of the decedent's estate or any other person legally entitled to do so under applicable local law may file a claim based on an individual's death.

(c) Subrogation. The subrogor (insured) and the subrogee (insurer) may file a claim jointly or individually. Pay a fully subrogated claim only to the subrogee. A joint claim must be asserted in the names of and signed by the real parties in interest. Make payment by sending a joint check to the subrogee, made payable to the subroger and subrogee. If separate claims are filed, make payment by check issued to each claimant to the extent of each undisputed interest.

Insured claimants must make a detailed disclosure of their insurance coverage by stating:

(a) Their name and address.

(b) Kind, amount, and dates of coverage of insurance.

(c) Insurance policy number.

(d) Whether a claim was presented to the insurer and, if so, in what amount.

(e) Whether the insurer paid or is expected to pay the claim.

(f) The amount of any payment made or promised.