Wounded Soldier: Military Wants Part Of Bonus Back

[wordsmythe]

kdka.com - Military Asks Wounded Soldiers To Return Portions Of Signing Bonuses

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.

Now men and women who have lost arms, legs, eyesight, hearing and can no longer serve are being ordered to pay some of that money back.

One of them is Jordan Fox, a young soldier from the South Hills.

He finds solace in the hundreds of boxes he loads onto a truck in Carnegie. In each box is a care package that will be sent to a man or woman serving in Iraq. It was in his name Operation Pittsburgh Pride was started.

Fox was seriously injured when a roadside bomb blew up his vehicle. He was knocked unconscious. His back was injured and lost all vision in his right eye.

A few months later Fox was sent home. His injuries prohibited him from fulfilling three months of his commitment. A few days ago, he received a letter from the military demanding nearly $3,000 of his signing bonus back.

"I tried to do my best and serve my country. I was unfortunately hurt in the process. Now they're telling me they want their money back," he explained.

It's a slap for Fox's mother, Susan Wardezak, who met with President Bush in Pittsburgh last May. He thanked her for starting Operation Pittsburgh Pride which has sent approximately 4,000 care packages.

He then sent her a letter expressing his concern over her son's injuries, so she cannot understand the U.S. Government's apparent lack of concern over injuries to countless U.S. Soldiers and demands that they return their bonuses.

While he's unsure of his future, Fox says he's unwavering in his commitment to his country.

"I'd do it all over again cause I'm proud of the discipline I learned - proud I could so something for my country," he said.

But Fox feels like he's already given enough. He'll never be able to pursue his dream of being a police officer because of his wounds and he can't believe he's being asked to return part of his $10,000 signing bonus.

KDKA contacted Congressman Jason Altmire on his behalf. He says he has proposed a bill that would guarantee soldiers receive full benefit of bonuses.

[SGT T.]

This isn't the first time I've heard about this. Its messed up and I thought they got the system fixed, but I guess not.

[Firedog]

That is crazy. We will have to see how that one works out.

[Highwayman]

The fix is pending.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2007

(Ross Township, PA) — Flanked by local wounded warrior SPC Robert Kaminski and other area veterans today at the Ross Township Municipal Building, Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-4) announced legislation that would ensure that members of the armed services who are discharged as a result of combat-related wounds receive the full compensation to which they are entitled by the Department of Defense. Congressman Altmire introduced the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act, H.R. 3793, after the bipartisan Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors, co-chaired by former Senator Bob Dole and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, uncovered a Department of Defense rule that unfairly penalized wounded soldiers by prohibiting them from receiving their full enlistment bonuses....

Press Release : Altmire (PA04) : Altmire, Wounded Warrior Speak Out in Support of Returning Veterans

The text of the bill.

Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

It’s been setting in subcommittee for a month.

Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

[K C Muffin]

It IS messed up. Hubby receives retirement pay from the Army and also a stipend for combat-related injuries (not life or limb-threatening). It's a small stipend, but the Army reduces his retirement pay by the amount of the stipend. I think THAT's messed up. If you earn retirement pay for years of service, you earn retirement pay. If there's other compensation due for any other reason, it should stand apart and be paid as well. I'm hopeful they'll get both these fixed soon. We ask these boys to risk life and limb for us, but when they come home, we stand with our hands out and ask for part of their pay back. It's not fair. Raise my taxes if necessary, but give these heroes everything they earned.

[Highwayman]

It's a start.

KDKA contacted the Pentagon. Investigators there took a look. A military spokesman told KDKA's Marty Griffin the bill sent to Fox was a mistake.

Griffin: "You are taking this case on involving Jordan and looking into it?"

Major Nathan Banks, Army spokesperson: "We are. We are ... definitely working it out. We have seen where the problems have been made, the system, and we're just making - you know, give us the opportunity to make a wrong a right."

kdka.com - Military Says Bill Sent To Wounded Veteran Was A 'Mistake'

[Army_of_One]

Of course WOrdy wouldn't post THAT part of the story. Wordy, I challenge you to post something POSITIVE about our military in Iraq. It seems as though you are on the MSNBC payroll with a small stipend coming in from CNN and Al Jazeera.

[TigerEyes]

I'd be careful with a challenge like that, AoO. Might come back to bite you on the arse when Wordy challenges you to post something positive about Democrats.

[Army_of_One]

I would have no problem with that.

[wordsmythe]

hmmm It seems you sit back and wait for your daddy Highway to give you the answer and find something to post about it. If you don't like it, find something yourself to post that's "positive." I'm not going to do your job for you.

This kind of situation that executive orders were actually made for. If Bush gave a damne about veterans and wounded soldies he's responsible for creating he'd do something about this instead of waiting for someone else to do it for him.

He could isue an order saying this kind of thing isn't happening. Fix it. And no legislation would be needed.

But once they can't pull the trigger anymore he just doesn't seem to give a shit.