[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 22, Volume 1] [Revised as of April 1, 2003] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 22CFR72.23] [Page 355] TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE PART 72--DEATHS AND ESTATES--Table of Contents Sec. 72.23 Responsibility in case of Department of Defense personnel. The Department of Defense is required, in the absence of a legal representative or other authorized person (see Secs. 72.18 and 72.19), to assume responsibility for the disposition of the personal estates of its military and civilian personnel who have died abroad. However, when no representative of the Department of Defense, or other authorized person, is present at the time of death, the consular officer should take possession of the personal estate and hold it for disposition in accordance with instructions from the Department of Defense. No fee should be charged for services so rendered (Sec. 72.54). Instructions in this section do not apply to the personal estates of dependents of Department of Defense personnel; nor to contractor personnel, i.e., United States civilians employed in foreign countries by commercial concerns operating under contract with the Department of Defense, and their dependents. The estates of such persons should be disposed of in the manner prescribed by Secs. 72.28 to 72.51, if no legal representative is present.