NYT: Soldier Protesting Extended Deployment Drops Suit and Re-enlists

[kskiska]

One of eight soldiers who challenged an Army rule requiring them to stay in Iraq beyond the date of their enlistment contracts has re-enlisted in the Army, agreeing to serve six more years, he and his lawyer said this weekend.

The soldier, Specialist David W. Qualls, an Arkansas National Guardsman who was the only named plaintiff in a federal lawsuit challenging the Army's so-called stop-loss policy, said that his family's deep financial problems led him to give up his court fight and to re-enlist last Tuesday. In an interview through e-mail messages to his post in Iraq, Specialist Qualls said that he had received a $15,000 bonus for signing up again.

"I realized that the lawsuit was not going to produce any results," Specialist Qualls wrote on Friday night. "I had to do what I thought would be best for my family."

Last spring, the Army announced that all troops headed to Iraq and Afghanistan would remain there throughout their unit's deployment - even if the time on an individual soldier's enlistment contract expired before the deployment ended.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2005/02/06/international/worldspecial/06soldier.html

[Career Prole]

1. That defense fund would have been worth kicking some cash in for. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. I wonder what he was told off teh record

[MADem]

3. They'll probably put him in RECRUITING

After a few months of that, he'll be eager to get back to Baghdad.

[TahitiNut]

6. He was obviously told he'd never get a decent job ...

... with a dishonorable discharge and his name on the 'black ball' list. When these people decide you'll never get hired again, they mean it. Believe it.

[Kimber Scott]

13. Do they have decent jobs in Arkansas? If his enlistment had expired

and he got out, even if it was after the stop-loss was over, he couldn't have been given a dishonorable discharge just for suing the Army.

I suspect he joined in the first place because he couldn't find a decent job. $15,000 is a lot of money when you're facing destitution.

[complain jane]

4. "I had to do what I thought would be best for my family."

Hm, what made him think his family would be at some sort of risk?

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. As I said, what was said OFF the record?

[blonndee]

7. Keep the masses poor and education inaccessible...ARMY the only option nt

[shanti]

8. so his life is only worth 15 grand....

nice....:-(

[Supersedeas]

11. and his integrity...bonuses make all the difference

How many more disgruntled reservists/guards can be appeased with a few greenbacks?

Ah, how a little money makes everything frivolous.

[daleo]

9. All for a lousy fifteen grand.

What's often the saddest thing, is how low the amount has to be. Some people have just been driven to desperation, I guess.

[dansolo]

10. Coming home in a coffin

Apparently is his idea of what is best for his family.

[hector459]

12. So what happened to all the talk about $250,000 life insurance for KIAs?

Did Bush find out that it was going to be proved that this was NOT his idea and that he is on record as having opposed doubling the $6,000 policy? What happened...it evaporated from the headlines.

[Herkdrvr]

16. The life insurance is currently at $250,000

They wanted to raise it to $400,000. You're talking about the death gratuity, which has been around $6,000 for many years.

[newyawker99]

28. Hi Herkdrvr!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[noamnety]

14. All the stop loss folks should get bonuses

Why aren't enlistment bonuses given to all soldiers that are forced to stay beyond their contract, pro-rated for the extra amount of time they were forced to serve?

[SaveAmerica]

15. Dear Spec. Qualls, after your bonus gets taxed

it won't be anywhere near $15,000. I don't know how much they'd take out of $15,000, (if anyone here has any experience with that I'd appreciate hearing the details). My husband's bonus had a huge amount taken out for taxes (and it was only $2500 to start with). I hope you stay safe.

[NYC]

17. Is a soldier's pay taxed?

I had assumed it was tax exempt.

[billyoc]

18. fraid not, they even pay sales tax on their uniforms. n/t

[NYC]

19. Are you saying they buy their own uniforms?

How long has this been so?

[SaveAmerica]

20. I just asked my husband and according to him, they are issued

everything they need when they first join. If they need to replace anything they are responsible to buy it. The clothing and sales store, px and bx don't charge taxes. Their pay is taxed. I was surprised that his bonus was taxed (it was something in the area of $900), I'm not sure but it appears that they put the bonus back onto his earnings on his W-2 making it taxable income so I'm thinking that makes it taxed twice.

[Rebel_blogger]

21. Just the base pay of the military is taxed. Other things such ...

as bonuses and housing/subsistence allowances aren't taxed. If you're sent to combat, your base pay ceases to be taxed as well. And, by the way, the earlier posts making unfounded assumptions about conditions in Arkansas need to go there and find out before they spout off about it.

[NYC]

22. If he gets holes in his uniform, or it just wears out,

does he have to buy the replacement uniform? I'm curious about this. It seems so wrong.

[SaveAmerica]

24. He says they also get a clothing allowance that would help with the

costs of buying replacement uniforms.

[NavyDem]

25. Yes He does but...

He also gets a $400 per year military clothing allowance for uniform replacement (which is not taxed).

I spend about 200 per year on clothing replacement myself, but then again, I'm currently working a desk job, not serving on the battle field.

[DS1]

29. In the Marines, they made us pay for our haircuts during bootcamp

even the one that was so quickly done a lot of guys left the barbers' chairs bleeding from headwounds.

[billyoc]

27. I got out in '82, so a while now.

You get a set initially, but that's it. They wear out pretty fast.

[NYC]

30. Thanks for the answer.

I just can't imagine people in the army having to pay for their own uniforms. That sounds so ridiculous to me. Maybe it wasn't that way during the draft. No matter what, I don't like the idea.

[NavyDem]

23. If he's in Iraq....

His bonus will not be taxed. Otherwise, it is taxed at either 15%, 25%, or 28% based upon where he falls in the tax bracket after receiving the bonus.

[Occulus]

26. He got punked.

Poor guy.