Opinion ID: 500120
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: applicability of feres immunity to the present claims

Text: 15 It is beyond question that the Feres doctrine generally applies to claims brought by National Guard members. See, e.g., Stencel Aero, 431 U.S. at 673, 97 S.Ct. at 2058; Anderson v. United States, 724 F.2d 608, 610 (8th Cir.1983); cf. Sebra v. Neville, 801 F.2d 1135, 1140-41 (9th Cir.1986) (justiciability doctrine restricts review of military decisions involving civilian National Guard technician because civilian National Guard employees must hold military rank). Stauber seeks to escape the doctrine on the ground that his claims arose while he and the defendants were civilian employees. Although the technicians had dual status for some purposes, the defendants respond that military regulations, standard operating procedures, and active-duty military officers controlled how the shop was run. 7 See Johnson, 107 S.Ct. at 2069 (because pilot was acting pursuant to standard operating procedures at time of death, suit could implicate military discipline); Millang, 817 F.2d 533, 535 n. 3 (Feres immunity applies upon showing that persons involved were subject to military control; showing of actual control unnecessary). We agree that the conduct that occurred at the maintenance shop cannot give rise to actionable tort claims without impinging on military authority and calling into question matters which are exclusively the subject of military remedies. Stanley, 107 S.Ct. at 3063 (mere process of determining which particular suits would call into question military discipline and decision-making would itself require judicial inquiry into, and hence intrusion upon, military matters); Chappell v. Wallace, 462 U.S. 296, 305, 103 S.Ct. 2362, 2368, 76 L.Ed.2d 586 (1983). 8 16 In 1984, in the Shearer decision, the Supreme Court noted that [t]he Feres doctrine cannot be reduced to a few brightline rules; each case must be examined in light of the [FTCA] as it has been construed in Feres and subsequent cases. 473 U.S. at 57, 105 S.Ct. at 3043. The Court in Shearer focused on the effect of suits between military personnel on military discipline and the problem of having civilian courts second-guessing military decisions. Shearer, 473 U.S. at 57-58 & n. 4, 105 S.Ct. at 3043-3044 & n. 4; see Atkinson, 825 F.2d 202 (9th Cir.1987); Millang, 817 F.2d at 535. 17 Very recently, in the Johnson decision, the Supreme Court reaffirmed and broadened the Feres rule. It held that Feres immunity extended to a FTCA action brought by the widow of a Coast Guard pilot killed during the course of activities clearly incident to service; Mrs. Johnson alleged that the crash occurred because of the negligence of civilian federal air traffic controllers. 9 Johnson, 107 S.Ct. at 2064. Strengthening Feres' prohibition on judicial review that would, even remotely, examine military decisions, the Court stated: 18 Even if military negligence is not specifically alleged in a tort action, a suit based upon service-related activity necessarily implicates the military judgments and decisions that are inextricably intertwined with the conduct of the military mission. 19 .... 20 Civilian employees of the Government also may play an integral role in military activities. In this circumstance, an inquiry into the civilian activities would have the same effect on military discipline as a direct inquiry into military judgments. For example, the [Federal Aviation Administration] and the United States Armed Services have an established working relationship that provides for [Federal Aviation Administration] participation in numerous military activities. 21 Id. at 2069 & n. 11. The Johnson majority also suggested that permitting military personnel to sue the government for injuries resulting from activities incident to their service on the basis of any government employee's negligence seriously undermines duty and loyalty to one's service and to one's country. Id. at 2069. 22 Here, the district court found that in their work Stauber and the defendants were always under the direct command of active-duty military officers. The parties shared the same direct military relationships whether on civilian or military status. Their conduct was subject to military discipline, and indeed, plaintiff requested that his superiors step in to improve the situation. Compare Millang, 817 F.2d at 535 (all participants, including civilians, were subject to military statutes, regulations, and orders). 23 Shearer and Johnson were not actions against individual, nongovernmental defendants. Nonetheless, we conclude that the National Guard mechanic-technicians' work was just as integral to routine military activities as was the work of the air traffic controllers held to be immune in Johnson. Stauber's claims are the 'type[s] of claims that, if generally permitted, would involve the judiciary in sensitive military affairs at the expense of military discipline and effectiveness.'  Johnson, 107 S.Ct. at 2069 (brackets in original) (quoting Shearer, 473 U.S. at 59, 105 S.Ct. at 3044 (emphasis in original)). 24 Nor is Stauber entitled to establish that some of the defendants' conduct did not involve questions of workplace supervision, military regulations, remedies provided under those regulations, and military decisionmaking. Although Stauber alleged that some of the harassment occurred off-base, the district court concluded that his claims arose from conduct in the workplace. On appeal, Stauber has failed to show that this finding was clearly erroneous. Moreover, it is clear from the record that the off-base, after-hours harassment was merely an extension of on-base events to which intramilitary immunity properly applies. To examine the relationship between on- and off-base events in this case, beyond determining that the conduct involved was incident to service, would result in an impermissible intrusion upon military matters. 10 Stauber's action was correctly dismissed under Feres and Johnson.CONCLUSION 25 Notwithstanding the parties' dual employment status, we agree that Stauber's action arose incident to service. See Johnson, 107 S.Ct. at 2068 (An examination of [the rationale underlying the Feres doctrine] demonstrates that the status of the alleged tortfeasor does not have ... critical significance....). 11 Defendants, therefore, are immune from suit. AFFIRMED. 12