One of the valuable services provided by the base is routine legal assistance. Technology advances allow basic types of legal services to be provided through the Internet. Base legal offices could provide basic legal services to geographically separated beneficiaries such as active deployed personnel, and retired members, by creating e-mail addresses and web pages on installation web sites that provide such items as wills, power of attorney and the like. Determination of the optimal benefits package for retirees and widows is a complex task that requires experienced personnel. Unfortunately, RAOs may require considerable time to develop the requisite level of expertise.
Benefits are dependent upon many factors.
These include age, VA status, income and wealth, citizenship, years of residency in the US, years of sponsor service, SBP status, country of residence, statute of limitations, percentage of the sponsor's career spent overseas, years of marriage, social security status, number and age of dependents, marital status, DIC status, offsets, tax rules and more. Complex determinations, with established logic rules are ideal candidates for automation. Not a significant issue. RAO's do not normally provide benefits counseling. RAO's at geographically separated units provide this service, however, they are small in number.