In Re Peter J. Mullen (Debtor) v. United States

KEITH, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from a decision of the district court holding that the Bankruptcy Court did not abuse its discretion when it refused to cite the United States Air Force (USAF) for contempt. The dispositive issue in the case is whether the USAF stood in a creditor-debtor relationship with Appellant Peter J. Mullen.

Appellant entered the USAF in 1953 and was honorably discharged in 1957. He continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves while attending college. He completed college in 1962. In 1964, Appellant returned to the USAF and was commissioned as an officer. He…