Court Opinion

ID: 9499501
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 17:50:22.507151+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:59:33.295540
License: Public Domain

GOULD, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I concur in Judge Callahan’s opinion which accurately reflects our prior circuit precedent and its application here. However, I am left with the concern that our precedent interpreting the scope of the Feres doctrine creates an injustice. The justifications for the doctrine as applied to the death of Lieutenant McConnell seem slim to me, for it is unrealistic for our precedent to suggest that dismissal of the claim here is needed to foster military discipline. In my view, and respectfully, it would be appropriate for our court en banc to reassess the scope of the Feres doctrine. Also, many might welcome the Supreme Court’s clarification of the doctrine’s application in the case of military-sponsored recreational programs.