Have you ever been sitting at work and received a call from a civilian lawyer asking for information? Have you ever been working the front desk and someone serves you lawsuit paperwork? Whether the answer is yes or no, it is important to know what to do in that situation.
When civilian lawyers call, you can politely direct them to contact the legal office. The legal office will then be able to determine if it is something the Air Force can engage with the attorney about (e.g., a lawsuit against the Air Force), or if it is something the Air Force does not play a part in (e.g., private litigation which happens to involve an Air Force member, such as a divorce).
If served lawsuit paperwork, immediately inform the legal office. AFI 51-301, Civil Litigation, para. 6.6.2, states “Send to the [legal office] any writ, summons, notice of legal proceedings, or other foreign civil process delivered to an Air Force officer, employee, or activity immediately on receipt.”
The bottom line is that, in certain circumstances, the Air Force can be sued like any other company. With lawsuits comes legal paperwork. If you are the one served the paperwork, contact the legal office; we are here to help.
If you have any questions, feel free to call the legal office at 720-847-6444.