Stencel Aero Engineering Corporation v. United States: An Expansion of the Feres Doctrine to Include Military Contractors, Subcontractors, and Suppliers

In Feres v. United States, military personnel were denied the right to sue the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act for injuries sustained incident to military service. A case recently decided by the United States Supreme Court, Stencel Aero Engineering Corporation v. United States, expanded the scope of the Feres Doctrine to include third party government contractors and suppliers seeking indemnity from the United States on claims by active-duty service personnel. This Note examines the recent Stencel decision and considers the effect of this decision upon the indemnity claims of private parties sued as joint tortfeasors with the government