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November 27, 2007 at 11:21:26

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Pentagon Forcing Wounded Soldiers to Repay Bonuses

by Aaron Glantz     Page 1 of 1 page(s)

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Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) revealed the Pentagon is telling wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan repay bonuses as big as $10,000 for not finishing their service commitment.

"They're shocked and there's a sense of betrayal," Schumer said at a news conference Sunday in Manhattan. "Everyone knows the Army is a huge agency and sometimes the left arm doesn't know what the right hand is doing but ... this one tops the cake in terms of its unbelievability."

The issue surfaced earlier this month when a soldier who was partially blinded by a roadside bomb in Iraq told media outlets that the Army asked him to repay $2,800 of his $7,500 enlistment bonus because he had only completed about a year of his three-year service.

Former Pfc. Jordan Fox, 21, of Pittsburgh, received the bill in late October and a week later received a notice that he could be charged interest if he didn't make a payment within 30 days.

The Army says Fox's case is an "isolated incident" and a simple clerical error. But at his press conference Senator Schumer said many New York veterans have called his office and reported similar problems.

Wounded veterans whose bonuses have been revoked can call the Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline at 800-984-8523.

Did you know?

The Pentagon reports the grand total of U.S. killed, wounded, injured, and ill for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars reached nearly 67,000 at the end of July 2007.

How well do you know your facts about U.S. veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan? Take the War Comes Home "Did You Know?" Quiz and find out!

by Aaron Glantz, Author How America Lost Iraq

 

warcomeshome.org

Pacifica radio network reporter Aaron Glantz is author of the new book "How America Lost Iraq" (Tarcher/Penguin). More information at www.warcomeshome.org

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

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3 comments


The rest of the story...

DoD policy has consistently permitted the retention of enlistment bonuses following military separation for a combat theater disability, provided no miscounduct was present.

DOD 7000.14-R, Volume 7A, Paragraph 090105.C. states, "Unpaid installments of the enlistment bonus are payable to members separated prior to completion of enlistment when separated under conditions which do not require recoupment. (See section 0905, below.)"

And Paragraph 090504. details, "Additional Reasons for Recoupment. Except for members not qualified because of injury, illness, or other impairment not the result of their own misconduct, entitlement to the full amount of an enlistment or selective reenlistment bonus awarded after June 30, 1977, will be contingent upon a member maintaining the technical qualification required for effective performance in the military specialty for which the bonus was awarded." - http://www.defenselink.mil/comptroller/fmr/07a/07aarch/07a_09_200202.pdf .

Thus, it is NOT DoD's policy to recoup enlistment bonuses following an injury, illness, or disability suffered in the line of duty.

For the actual Pentagon new release in response to Senator Schumer's multitude of cases, have fun here - http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48232 .  If the Honorable Senator is aware that there are many more such cases, why hasn't he forwarded them to the Pentagon?  The reason is that he only had to toss this grenade in support of the junior senator from New York's similar remarks that were made earlier.  No supportive evidence was needed and the military is irresponsible.

And thus begins the slippery slope of including the military and the soldiers within the anti-war movement.

by Tom Murphy (3 articles, 5 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 2103 comments [55 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007 at 12:43:53 PM

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Mr. Murphy,

As to your comment...thank you for it. You are thorough, succinct and on target.

As to how it affects me........ to know just how f'd up this whole deal is, is at times, too much too comprehend. I breathe in, then out, calm down a bit and then realize yes, it is ugly, yes it is happening and yes, we are nearer the day when we will need more than these words to be heard.

I thank you and wherever we may be, I will standing with you as we draw our line in the sand.

peace 

by mikel paul (14 articles, 1 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 570 comments [13 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007 at 9:59:46 PM

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If not for the confusion.......

This appears to be a classic case of the left head not knowing what the right head was thinking.  Some civilian pay technician probably got the paperwork that the soldier didn't fulfill the obligation without the reason why.

by Dave Kisor (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 315 comments [40 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Nov 29, 2007 at 11:25:37 PM

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