Soldier pays for armor - Army demanded $700 from city man who was wounded

WV Gazette ^ | 2/7/06

[joesnuffy]

Combat losses should never come out of a soldier's pocket.

There used to be paper work needing to be filed that assured this from not happening...

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

I managed to lose some of my LBE in Vietnam--had to pay for it before I got on the Freedom Bird.

[gridlock]

The sky is blue...
The grass is green...
Water is wet...
The Army is a bureaucratic nightmare...

So what else is new?

[mlc9852]

You have got to be kidding me!

[WmCraven_Wk]

"Rebrook was forced to pay $700 for that body armor, blown up by a roadside bomb more than a year ago."

Seems to me that this is covered under the definition of 'Government Issue'. Since when is a wounded GI expected to pay for missing/damaged equipment? Is an USN ship captain now responsible for repair and/or replacement of his damaged/sunk ship? Or, a tank commander for battle damage to his tank?

[mbynack]

Do you really think this snafu would be cleared up without this article? The soldier says that his higher ups basically told him they didn't want to get involved.

There are at least a dozen appeals processes in the military that he can use. At some point in the chain you will find someone with a little common sense who will have the Army write this off. He can go through his chain of command. He can go through his unit IG. He can go up to the next level Commander. He can go to the next level IG. He can go through the Chaplin's office. He can appeal it through a Report of Survey. He can call his congressman. The fact that he chose to go to the local press rather than using the available complaints process indicates he is trying to make trouble for the Army.

[Tornear]

Keyword: right mind
I've noticed a lot of things in the military are not
reasonable. Their PC policy says that chaplins
are not to say "Jesus". Unfortunately, I'm not a bit
surprised by this article. It is also the case that
soldiers coming back from the battlefield have a hard
time proving they are ill from chemicals used in the
war. It is usually a nightmare for them to get their
medical treatment. While I support the soldiers, I think
the system has failed them many times.

[EricT.]

Something doesn't add up here...Before garnishment would occur there would be a quick investigation at his former command as to the disposition of the vest. On the DD-200 Survey form, the findings would be documented and he Commanding Officer makes a determination whether to "write off" the lost/damaged equipment or garnish the cost from the servicemember. What CO in his right mind would charge one of his wounded under these circumstances?

You would be surprised at some of the assinine things I had to deal with while on active duty. Some CO's only have a focus on what's above them and care nothing about what's below them. The sad thing is that their attitude forms an identical culture of brown-nosing and ass-covering in the suboordinate officers as well.

[Dubya]

Yhanks for posting this. Very sad they would do this to him. What a bunch of JERKS.

[Rebelbase]

The new policy is if you get smacked down by more than 5 posters you must donate $10 to FR.

Pay up.

[stinkerpot65]

His commanding officer should be booted out for not taking care of it.

Idiot bureaucrat.

[jec41]

Do you really think this snafu would be cleared up without this article? The soldier says that his higher ups basically told him they didn't want to get involved

No they told him to follow procedure and do his homework.

[ansel12]

"I didn't get paid for 3 months after my transfer to a base in Turkey. Seems my paperwork was sent to Shemya in the Aleutians'


After being transferred to a leg unit I continued collecting jump pay, I went to my CO and Finance, everybody said it was correct. One pay day I received no check (zero), I was told, that is how mistakes are corrected, and I would receive no pay until my debt was paid. At the time I lived off base and had separate rations, it proved to be a hardship.

[sandbar]

>>>Lets use a little common sense.

You are referring to the military. Are you kidding? Common sense is wrapped up in red tape somewhere.

[MensRightsActivist]

Even "hawks" get ticked off over stuff like this.

What is the message our military is sending here, "Men are disposable. Body armor, however, must be reimbursed?"

Given the record spending that has been going on in America for pork barrel social programs I think it is fiscally irresponsible that we can't afford to cover body armor lost in combat by American heros. I think it is highly unethical that our military chooses to hassle our brave heros over some body armor lost in combat, but bends over backwards to fund Democrat special interest pork barrel spending.

Case in point, Time to Defund Feminist Pork — the Hate-Men Law

Every Republican Senator in Congress, to his/her disgrace voted to fully fund that taxpayer shakedown.

It appears that Republicans have a problem saying no to pork barrel spending for Democrat initiated social programs, but have no problem saying we won't cover the cost of body armor for an American hero lost in combat. That's disgraceful. Deal with it.

[jec41]

Why did he pay it? He should have told the Army to go 'f' themselves.

The stockades are full of people who told the Army to go 'f' themselves.

[catpuppy]

This article is Bravo Sierra. :)

Exactly. Those who are shedding tears for the soldier and/or bashing the military have both their sympathy and their criticism misplaced.

[zeugma]

I recall reading a poem by Rudyard Kipling that speaks to the bureaucracy being eternal. Unfortunately, I can't for the life of me remember the title, or I'd post it. It is truely apropos.

[ElectricStrawberry]

What CO in his right mind would charge one of his wounded under these circumstances?

It's not the CO, it's the weenies over at CIF (Central Issuing Facility) that pull this crapola.

[FFIGHTER]

They would pay with the careers at least with the ship's Captain, and depending on the circumstances could face monetary penalties. With regards to the Navy Captain, a board of inquiry would be commissioned.