Pentagon ordered to stop forcing veterans to repay bonuses

[dixiegrrrrl]

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has ordered the Pentagon to halt the claw back of enlistment or re-enlistment bonuses.

His decision comes in the wake of angry reaction from members of Congress who demanded he relieve the burden on the Guard members. And the White House said President Barack Obama has warned the Defense Department not to "nickel and dime" service members who were victims of fraud by overzealous recruiters.

The California National Guard told the state’s members of Congress two years ago that the Pentagon was trying to claw back reenlistment bonuses from thousands of soldiers, and even offered a proposal to mitigate the problem, but Congress took no action, according to a senior National Guard official.
On Tuesday, President Obama ordered an expedited investigation.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/26/1587062/-Pentagon-ordered-to-stop-forcing-veterans-to-repay-bonuses?detail=facebook

[drray23]

1. Great but what happens to those

Who already refinanced their house to pay it as it was reported in another thread ?

[ColemanMaskell]

2. my question too. And even if gov't pays them back, they've been put through H--- on this.

They ought to get compensation. They won't, most likely, but they should.

Good the gov't stopped what they were doing though. It was well within the definition of "wrong".

[ColemanMaskell]

4. Here's a link to another article that tells a little more

Apparently the first step is to "Review" everything.

Obama Tells Pentagon to Speed Up Review of California Guard Bonuses

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/10/26/obama-tells-pentagon-speed-review-california-guard-bonuses.html

Tribune Washington Bureau | Oct 26, 2016 | by David S. Cloud

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has told the Defense Department to expedite its review of nearly 10,000 California National Guard soldiers who have been ordered to repay enlistment bonuses improperly given a decade ago . . .

The Defense Department is looking at ways appeals "can be expedited" for soldiers "on an individual basis," but it cannot issue blanket forgiveness of the debts, said Laura Ochoa, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

That may require action by Congress, which engaged in a bout of fierce finger-pointing Tuesday.

Members of the California delegation blamed California Guard officials in Sacramento for not alerting them to the scale of the problem in 2014 when the GOP-led House considered -- but did not pass -- a provision that would have allowed the Defense secretary to waive the repayments.

. . .
The House Oversight Committee announced that it had started an investigation into the repayment program. It asked the California Guard to turn over all documents and audits of the payments.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, the committee chairman, and three other Republicans said in a letter that officials who mismanaged the bonus programs must be "held accountable." The lawmakers said Guard officials must turn over relevant documents by Nov. 7.

[csziggy]

3. The recruiters who committed the fraud should have to pay

Not the people who gave their service and risked their lives.

Just forgive the debts - it would probably cost less than the investigations into Benghazi did.

[ColemanMaskell]

5. Apparently it would take an Act of Congress to forgive the debts.

Same article I quoted replying to the above commentor

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/10/26/obama-tells-pentagon-speed-review-california-guard-bonuses.html

The Defense Department is looking at ways appeals "can be expedited" for soldiers "on an individual basis," but it cannot issue blanket forgiveness of the debts, said Laura Ochoa, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

That may require action by Congress, which engaged in a bout of fierce finger-pointing Tuesday.

[csziggy]

6. I'm sure Congress is trying to blame Obama for the whole mess

Even though - from your link - "the Pentagon was demanding repayment of enlistment bonuses given to about 9,700 soldiers mostly from 2006 to 2008."

This is just obscene. I hope Congress will get off their asses and pass legislation that will forgive all those "bonuses" and get the money back to those who have already paid.

[ColemanMaskell]

9. Actually it sounds like they're trying to blame California National Guard and Calif. Congresspeople

[ColemanMaskell]

7. Oh, and thanks for posting that, Dixie. Letting us know it's at least being handled.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Kudos to Pres. Obama for passing down the order to stop. n/t