Legal Assistance

Staff Judge Advocate Office

Location

216 Custer Avenue

Fort Riley, KS 66442

Administrative & Civil Law: (785) 239-2717

Claims: (785) 239-3830

Magistrate (District) Court: (785) 239-3918

Trial Defense Service: (785) 239-2960

Criminal Law (STAFF JUDGE ADVOCATE): (785) 239-2013

Administrative and Civil Law - The Mission of the Administrative and Civil Law Division of the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate is to provide the Command and Staff of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley with legal services in the areas of Procurement Law, Environmental Law, Civilian Personnel/Labor Law, Fiscal Law, Government Ethics Law, and the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act. The Fort Riley Administrative Law Division provides quality legal advice to staff sections, directorates, tenant activities and units on compliance with federal law, Army regulations, and other applicable law and policy.

Claims Division - The Claims Division mission is to process, investigate, adjudicate, and negotiate the settlement of non-contractual claims against or on behalf of the Army stemming from Army activity at Fort Riley and for a 4-State area (Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota). Claims are processed for lost or damaged property, personal injury, death, and other costs arising from Army operations, including Army Reserve and National Guard.

Filing a Claim

All CONUS personnel will be able to file a claim electronically with the CPCS beginning 5 July 2017. On that date you go to http://www.JAGCNet.army.mil/Pclaims to find more information on how to file a claim (to include the trifold on the A,B,C’s of Claims), or call the Center at 1- 502-626-3000 or DSN 536-3000 with questions. You also can contact CPCS by email at usarmy.knox.hqda-otjag.mbx.cpcs@mail.mil. For any claims filed before 5 July 2017, or for general information, your installation SJA or legal office will continue to assist you.

THERE ARE TWO STEPS TO SUBMIT A CLAIM:

Step 1:  Notice of Loss and Damage (NOLD):

You must provide notice to the TSP of loss or damage of any item you wish to later claim within 75 calendar days of delivery.

If you recognize loss or damage while the movers are still there, make sure those items are noted as lost or damaged on the DD Form 1850 before they leave.  This meets the notice requirement to the TSP for those items.  If additional items are discovered to be lost or damaged after the movers have left you will need to provide notice to the TSP of these items through DPS.  If notice is not provided within 75 days for an item you lose the opportunity to be compensated for that item. Once logged on to DPS, click on “Claims” tab in the upper middle of the page.

Then click “Start My Loss and Damage” tab on the right side of the screen.  Click on icon next to the “Pick the Shipment” box.  Pick the shipment that your loss occurred on. You will also need to select the icon “Submitter’s Relationship” and select “Self”.

Any box with a red * will need to be filled out.  Add each item separately that is damaged or missing.

Include all items damaged or missing, even if noted on the DD Form 1850 at delivery.

Once all items are added, click “Submit”.  This lets the TSP know that you had a loss or damage to these items in shipment.  You have now stopped your 75 day clock.

Take pictures of broken property and keep all items if safe to do so.

Avoid discarding damaged items without written permission of the TSP.

Step 2: File a Claim:

File a claim with the TSP within 9 months of delivery to be eligible for Full Replacement Value (FRV).

To file a claim with the TSP you will need prices for damaged/missing items.  These prices are for like-items at today’s cost.

Once you have your prices ready, you can file a claim.  Log in to DPS, click “Claims” tab in the upper middle of the page.

Then click “Start my Claim” tab on the right side of the screen.

Click on icon next to the “Pick the Shipment” box.

Pick the shipment that your loss occurred on.

You will also need to select the icon “Submitter’s Relationship” and select “Self”.  Any box with a red * will need to be filled out.

Select “Import Claim Items” from your NOLD (Step 1 above).  Each item must be edited individually with the price you claim.  If you did not submit a NOLD on DPS (step 1), you will need to add each item that is damaged or missing.  Once all items to be claimed have a price, click “Submit”.

The TSP has up to 60 days to make an offer on your claim.  The TSP may send out an inspector to inspect damaged items (they will call to set up a time with you).

The TSP will respond to your claim in the DPS system and will typically send an email with their offer.

Offer from TSP: Log in to DPS to view your offer.  You will need to review each item individually in the TSP offer.  If you are satisfied with the offer on an item, click “Accept”.

The TSP should then make payment to you on that item within 30 days.  If you are not satisfied with the offer on an item click “Counter Offer” (if available) to request additional money from the TSP.  If you are not satisfied with the offer and wish to have the item(s) transferred to the Army Center for Personnel Claims Support (CPCS) for adjudication, click “Transfer to MCO [military claims office].”

Transferring your claim to the CPCS on the DPS website (www.move.mil) does not transfer the electronic file.  You MUST go to https://www.JAGCNet.army.mil/Pclaims to complete the online filing process to transfer your claim to the CPCS.

You have two years from date of delivery to make a claim with the MCO for a transferred item.  If you still have questions, you may reach the CPCS at (502) 626-3000 or usarmy.knox.hqda-otjag.mbx.cpcs@mail.mil

Legal Assistance - The mission of the Fort Riley legal assistance program is to enhance the readiness of Fort Riley units through the provision of competent and timely legal services in order to:

Help eligible clients avoid readiness-reducing legal issues before they occur,
Resolve existing readiness-reducing legal issues when possible, and
Improve soldier and family morale through the provision of such services.

U.S. District Court/Magistrate Court - United States Magistrate Court (U.S. District Court) at Fort Riley is part of the United States Federal Court system for the District of Kansas. The court handles all traffic tickets issued to both soldiers and civilians on Fort Riley, and all criminal actions against civilians who commit offenses on Fort Riley.

Your presence in U.S. Magistrate Court is perhaps your first experience in a courtroom. This fact sheet has been prepared to help you understand the Court proceedings and to inform you of your rights and duties.

The U.S. Magistrate Court is part of the federal judiciary. This is NOT a military court, although it is being held here at Fort Riley. Court is held at Fort Riley as a courtesy to those who use this installation.

This Court is only authorized to hear misdemeanor cases. No cases will be filed before this Court that are for a felony offense.

The proceedings in U.S. Magistrate Court are recorded by audio equipment. You will need to speak clearly, loudly, and answer questions in a "yes" or "no" fashion.

Trial Defense Service

Trial Defense Service (TDS) attorneys are military officers and practicing defense lawyers, graduated from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, licensed to practice law, and members of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. To ensure objectivity and fairness, TDS attorneys are completely independent from local commands and their legal advisors. They are supervised and rated by their superiors within TDS.

The mission of TDS is to provide a full-range of defense legal services to Soldiers worldwide, at no cost to the Soldier. These services include:

Representing Soldiers at courts-martial.
Representing Soldiers during criminal investigations and before involuntary enlisted separation, officer elimination, or grade reduction boards.
Counseling Soldiers regarding restraint, non-judicial punishment (aka Article 15), and any other adverse administrative action taken pursuant to Army regulations.

All communications between a TDS attorney and a Soldier-client are strictly confidential and privileged.

TDS attorneys represent Soldiers only; they do not represent civilian employees of the Department of Defense, nor civilian dependents. In addition, TDS does not represent Soldiers pending civilian judicial proceedings or charges, to include proceedings at a federal magistrate court in a military base. TDS representation is only provided to Soldiers facing adverse action in military jurisdiction.

Article 15’s - This information is NOT intended as a substitute for speaking with a defense attorney. Any soldier who is read a company of field grade Article 15 has an absolute right to consult with a defense attorney before deciding whether to accept the Article 15. Remember, any soldier who is read a company of field jade Article 15 has an absolute right to consult with a defense attorney before deciding whether to accept the Article 15. While this information paper answers the most common questions about Article 15's, it obviously does not answer every question. For further information, contact the Trial Defense Service office at (785)239-3430.

Off-Limits Establishments:

Junction City -

Manhattan -

http://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Pclaims