I can't see how they are getting screwed. They were told they would have to pay back the smaller of the TWO salaries they were receiving (and tax-free too if they were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan). They didn't save it, admitted to spending "the windfall," and now some, a few, are hard-pressed to pay it back even when allowed to spread the payments back over several years. You get "screwed" when you don't get what is properly owed you, but trying to back out of a debt, made in good faith that you volunteered for to assure you would continue to receive your police-employee benefits while deployed, is in my opinion, not one of them.
Beg pardon,,,i forgot, imho,,,after all,,,we always get
best deal possible,,,imho,,,thanks !