Posted on 11/20/2007 6:12:45 PM PST by Paige
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The U.S. Military is demanding that thousands of wounded service personnel give back signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their commitments.
To get people to sign up, the military gives enlistment bonuses up to $30,000 in some cases.
(Excerpt) Read more at kdka.com ...
I know sometimes it doesn’t do much to write a congressman but I felt I needed to. (It does help sometimes)
Don’t know what ARKS! means????
Looks like the crappy letter sent to this injured veteran is being retracted, and I hope if any other injured veterans got a letter like this, they too will be told to disregard.
Outrageous beyond belief. Is this ( I hope ) some sort of hoax?
The one where the patients in hospitals get their subsistance cut was due to the bastards in Congress.
This is outrageous!
“but I felt I needed to.”
I know the feeling and I figure it helps me just writing a stupid email or fax even if it nevers gets read.
Glad to see things are worked out in this situation.
As has often been discussed, these letters are sent by computers that are keyed to spit out when an exit service date precedes a benefits earned date.
It requires a simple fix and is not the result of animus or greed.
Bugs in all systems need to be worked out.
Also, in ALL of these cases, current regulations allow for appeals due to exceptions, extenuating circumstances. I’m assuming, though, reporting that kind of thing would be less sensationalistic journalism.
Everything in military regs has an exception. Everything.
There was something similar to this about 2 years ago in terms of some other kind of pay...combat pay, jump pay, etc.
Congress applied the fix, but even then, it was a matter of a local commander being able to grant an exception to policy.
You don’t write exceptions into a reg, because you don’t have any idea what they’ll be until they show up. And you certainly don’t let them get decided by a computer program. You tell the computer to recoup money from those who had bonuses but who have less than 2 years of service.
That’s the computer input, and there’s the output. EVERYONE who has a bonus who doesn’t complete at least 2 years (?) service has to pay back a portion of that bonus.
Here’s a link to a 2005 story that is the same type of issue.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/13/AR2005101302166.html
My concern is now...since this did take place in 2005, according to the POST, then this should have “NOT” taken place again.
Happy Thanksgiving! For we are a truly BLESSED nation!
I would say that it’s the “do nothing” Congress.
They are the one’s responsible, by the Constitution, to write military regulations.
Mr. Jordan Fox will not be required to pay back or “recoup” any enlistment money he received from the U.S. Army. By all accounts, his case seems to be an isolated one. If anyone else does have an issue we encourage them to call the “Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline” at 1-800-984-8523.
The Army does not require repayment of any enlistment bonus when a Soldier is separated because of a combat injury. That is the Army’s policy.
The policy prohibits what is described as “recoupment” when it would be contrary to equity and good conscience, or would be contrary to the Nation’s interests.” Those circumstances include, for example, “an inability to complete a service agreement because of illness, injury, disability, or other impairment that did not clearly result from misconduct.”
We are looking into Mr. Fox’s case now and appreciate his service to the Nation. We will see more about the specifics surrounding his situation … and appreciate his efforts to help fellow Soldiers.
Once again any Wounded Soldiers or Veterans with a pay concern or any other concern may call the Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline 1-800-984-8523 for personal assistance. This Hotline was stood up in March 2007 and is manned by real compassionate human beings who are mandated to get answers and help find solutions to problems or get them to right people who can.
Over this Thanksgiving Holiday period, I’d like to give special and sincere thanks to all our men and women serving our great nation in harm’s way!
Very Respectfully,
Col Dan Baggio, U.S. Army
Chief, Media Relations Division
U.S. Army Public Affairs
Ping to live response from the US Army Chief of Media Relations, Col Dan Baggio
Thank you for your service, Sir.
Blessings on you and the troops this Thanksgiving.
Good for you.
And quick, too.
Filner....bet he was the ‘go-to’ mole for CNN ‘special’ “Broken Government, Fighting the VA”, a hit piece on Walter Reed Army Hospital, the VA, veterans, etc. The only ‘fact’ you could probably draw from the piece was that the Chicago area is the worst place in the world to be a wounded veteran (gratis corrupt Dickie Durbin).
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