Posted on 02/08/2005 8:23:15 PM PST by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON - The Army has identified 129 wounded soldiers who mistakenly received bills for expenses upon returning home from wars - in some cases instead of final paychecks - and it has forgiven their debts.
After learning of the first such cases, Army Gen. Richard A. Cody said, an audit team determined that other wounded soldiers "experienced pay issues" and the Army has made changes it hopes will prevent other instances.
"We are dedicated to the well being of our soldiers and strive to provide the absolute best for America's sons and daughters," Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff, said in a letter sent late Friday to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The Democrat from New York intervened in the case of Spc. Robert Loria, who lost his arm in Iraq. In December, as Loria was about to be discharged from the Army, officials told the 27-year-old soldier from Middletown, N.Y. that he owed nearly $1,800 in expenses.
Loria, who was wounded last February, had expected to get a check for nearly $4,500.
But Army officials said he had been overpaid for his time as a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and said he still owed money for travel between the Washington-area hospital, where he received treatment, and Fort Hood in Texas, where he was recovering. Officials also said he also owed money for items not found in his returned equipment and had to repay his family separation stipend.
Clinton and other members of the New York delegation claimed that the Army's estimate of expenses owed was too large and based in part on paperwork errors and bureaucratic complications. They also faulted Army officials for failing to help wounded soldiers determine just how much money they are owed.
The Army ultimately forgave Loria's debt.
But after Clinton's office received other similar complaints, she sent a letter to the Army on Jan. 19 asking what procedures were in place to avoid similar cases. She said the complaints she had heard "suggest serious systemic problems."
In his response, Cody said Army medical and financial officials now meet individually with wounded soldiers to ensure they are aware of any entitlements they are owed. And, he said, the Army has established financial support teams at hospitals for wounded soldiers to swiftly take care of any such problems.
On Monday, Clinton said she was pleased with the efforts but blamed the "Army bureaucracy" for the errors in the first place. She said in a statement that soldiers wounded while serving their country should not be made "victims of red tape" because "we owe it to them to ensure that they have the support that they need."
How costly is to absorb the cost. If we do it for one do we do if for all.
To be billed, as a result of an accounting error seems a red herring.
Clinton said she was pleased with the efforts but blamed the "Army bureaucracy"
Smart Madam President...
Amazingly it's Hillary Clinton who wrote up the penal code portion of the "Clinton Care" plan who seems to understand exactly what the mind-set is. She knows it's not just a bunch of errors ~ this stuff happens intentionally because the person who drafted the rules (years ago, and during peacetime) was trying to tie all the loose ends together and make sure no one even appeared to be doing something improper.
Not everybody in Congress has that particular piece of understanding.
She should be watched closely because she'll do it again first chance she gets (because her intention has nothing to do with appearances of impropriety. She just wants to tie the auditors up while she does some wholesale stealing.)
Perhaps that vile person can be of some help after all.
If we are providing health facilities for the poor all over the World, please tell me why we cannot first tend to our own Military?
Quite truthfully I would prefer that those who risked their lives for me were seated on velvet pillows before I feel called to provide for the poor every place else who are abused by their own "leader/elites".
I know Vets who have died lacking care of the inept VA so I am not prepared to play nice/nice on this subject. You don't die at early ages with complaints so bogus the VA is disinclined to help.
Truth is, the VA isn't even good enough for the dogs of the rich and famous.
As far as I'm concerned..every returning Soldier,Sailor, Airman and Marine should have a fully finished home with all the amenities the rich folks have in their homes. Twice.
And a pretty new pony.
Odd thing is, a number of years ago we(the US) gave the Soviet/Russian or whatever government enough money to purchase a new home for each of the officers in their then army!
It was for their armed services and it about choked me since we had not even covered the scars of our Nam vets.
This was a crappy thing to happen, but why on earth does Hitlery get mentioned as a do-gooder here? I'm sure there were others involved that did more. No bias here, move along little FReeper, move along.
I don't believe it. Source please. Something like that would be news and I never heard it. I don't care who the President was the other party would be screaming bloody murder if it was true.
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