we’re supposed conservatives....we would want this corrected if they were civilians or govt workers....
Corrected? How about firing those responsible?
These guys were induced to re-up and risk their lives by payments they received. They didn't know the payments were higher than authorized and buried in some law. They are blameless. If the payments were lower, maybe they wouldn't have been persuaded. As far as they are concerned, they were offered a deal and they honored it.
They are or were “gov’t workers”...And underpaid for the job they do at that...
I don’t want this “corrected...I wish they could get more....
(This from a Vietnam veteran)
The issue is they signed a contract that allowed the government to send them overseas into harms way, for a sum of money. It seems the Guard establishment played funny, probably giving combat MOS bonuses to folks who did not deserve them. All it takes is filling out the form and changing a 51B20 (Carpentry And Masonry Specialist) to 11B20 (Infantry) to get the required bonus.
I would suggest, as such bonuses are looked over by the entire recruiting and retaining command,( drafter, senior command NCO, signed off by the commanding officer) that this was done on a wink and nod basis by state officers up and to the TAG. After all recruiting goals must be met, and that is what it took back then. In defense of the folks that did this, they were likely told by their command to make certain numbers by hook and crook, if the NG does not get the figures they are supposed to, they loos money form the Federal National Guard.
An audit showed that folks were given bonuses they did not deserve. Very easy to check with Milpers. No way this happened on such a larges scale (9700 affected) without the entire leadership at the time knowing it up to the TAG level, money is accounted for.
So it is not the soldiers fault, but the chain of command, as it usually is. Most of these guard soldiers were likely in their late 20s, on a second enlistment (currently it is 8 years)and not really all that up on what they could and could not get. If they were offered a bonus and they did their full 8 years, well they earned it, you sign a contract and they did their part. It is a shitty trick to do a bait and switch on them, especially as a lot of them likely blew the money and do not have that much to show for it.
If you understand what happened here, it really is a vial thing to go after the soldiers for what recruiting and retention command NCOs/Officers did 10 years ago.