It's possible the "insurance" naming on core-basic military supplied "benefits" has changed since when. But, the extra "policy" purchase -- it's a little bit for a substantial payoff in occurrence of death. Can't help ya, here, with solid knowledge on the current situation.
Milan, IL-Should the biological father of a soldier killed in the line of duty receive death benefits even though he never met his daughter?
Sgt. Jessica Housby of Rock Island was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in February. The unmarried 23 year old was raised by her mother and step-father.
But the state contacted her biological father Tony Holbrook in his prison cell in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and informed him that as the biological father of Jessica, he was entitled to survivor's benefits, and is in line to receive more than 137- thousand dollars in the coming weeks.
Jessica's mother says Holbrook never met his daughter, and should not be benefit from her death. ''He left when I was four months pregnant. He's not on the birth certificate, he never paid child support. he was never there for her when she was alive, why should he be awarded for her death, '' said Deb Bundy of Milan. ''It doesn't make any sense.''
Holbrook is now due to split a 274 thousand dollar compensation from the state of Illinois. He says he was ''as shocked as anybody'' when the Army contacted him when he was in prison where he was serving time for his third drunk driving offense. ''I didn't raise her, maybe I don't deserve the money but the government and the court says I do.'' said Holbrook.
He says it's true he never met his daughter, but says she contacted him by phone two years ago to ask about medical history in his family, when she developed a heart condition, which could have kept her out of the service.
''I'm sorry I wasn't there for Jessica, but the government says I deserve it, and I can't just turn it down. This could change my life.''
Meanwhile, Jessica's mother Deb says she's contacted a local lawmaker to see about the intent of the relatively new (2004) death benefit for American soldiers and marines killed in the line of duty in Iraq.
''This isn't right. Why should he be awarded in her death when he never even met her when she was alive?''