The military and life insurance
The military is automatically covered by life insurance through the Service-members' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) scheme, an affordable group term plan. Service personnel, whether on active duty, in training, the reserves, or inactive status, are the beneficiaries. The policy has a $400k highest amount of coverage. Every member of the armed services is covered by the policy, and it can only be terminated upon a person's written request. According to current legislation, beneficiaries of the plan receive their benefits regardless of the cause of death. However, benefits shouldn't be paid when troops commit suicide, particularly when it's the result of DUI. Members of the armed forces should be viewed as role models to the young kids and the society as a whole. By making payment of these policies due to death caused by DUI, it creates a wrong impression of the military personnel. Other than soiling the name of the army, such payments encourage suicide among the servicemen. It can be used by some as a gateway of obtaining money. Moreover, family members can opt to facilitate suicide of a soldier to receive the benefits as long as the contestability period has elapsed.
The issue with paying benefits for DUI-related deaths
When paying benefits to family members after a serviceman dies as a result of DUI, the service provider seems to be condoning and rewarding the family for the irresponsible actions of the policy holder. It is more like a compensation for suicide. From a moral perspective, it is an ill-advised action as it provides a loophole to servicemen with social, psychological or emotional problems. Like the military, servicemen have a tremendous responsibility as role models to the citizens. Therefore, rather than condoning DUI by paying benefits for such an action, servicemen should be the ones aiding its prevention and thus should not be compensated for death resulting from DUI.
References
(BOARD OF VETERANS' APPEALS). Retrieved August 27, 2017, from https://www.va.gov/vetapp93/files2/9316921.txt
