U.S. Military Demands Bonus Money Back from Soldiers with Arms, Legs Blown Off

U.S. Military Demands Bonus Money Back from Soldiers with Arms, Legs Blown Off

www.naturalnews.com

In some cases, the U.S. military has been denying wounded soldiers the full amount of their enlistment bonuses, under the rationale that the soldiers are unable to fulfill the full term of their service contract.

The policy came to light after Jordan Fox, who was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq and sent home three months early, received a letter asking him to repay $2,800 of his signing bonus. Fox had been hospitalized for several months, and still has an injured back and a blind right eye.

"I was just completely shocked," Fox said. "I couldn't believe I'd gotten a bill in the mail from the Army."

(visit the link for the full news article)

The Army claims that they are not actually demanding repayment of any portions of the bonus but are they lying?

In response to the KDKA report, a military spokesperson replied that the bill sent to Fox was a mistake.

"If you are ill or were injured while on duty, the Army will not ask you to repay any portion of your recruitment bonus," said Brig. Gen. Mike Tucker.

But the military has refused to comment on charges that thousands of soldiers have received letters similar to Fox's. In addition, the military has only specified that wounded soldiers will not be asked to repay any of their bonuses -- it has not promised to pay full bonuses to injured soldiers in cases where the bonus was not paid up front.

This seems to have been a problem for quite some time now. Does anyone here personally know of any soldiers who have recieved these type of bills, or have had portions of their bonus withheld?

This is certainly not going to help the recruiting centers meet their quota's.

www.naturalnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

The first I heard of this was two years ago. It was considered a hoax at first till the Veterans Administration got copies of the letters from the guys and gals involved. No ones owned up to what started this but it needs a full investigation to find out the motives behind the mailings. The other answer I heard was that the computer mailed out the demand from any person that was on the list of those that had left the military before they're term. The Computer had no information to weed out those with medical reasons. They just went with dates as criteria.

Zindo

This story actually broke in November 2007. Not exactly breaking news. Obviously someone who doesn't like the military, or the Bush administration is trying to rehash something that happened and was quickly fixed.

www.af.mil...

11/26/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- If you are wounded in combat and discharged as a result, you will not have to pay back your enlistment bonus, Defense Department officials said here Nov. 26.

"Bonuses are not recouped simply for one's inability to complete an enlistment or re-enlistment agreement through no fault of the military member," a policy statement said.

Pentagon officials re-stated their policy after a wounded soldier in Pennsylvania received a bill from the Army. Jordan Fox was a private first class in Baqouba, Iraq, when he was wounded in the explosion of an improvised explosive device in May. Mr. Fox was partially blinded in his right eye and suffered a back injury when the bomb went off.

Shame on Naturalnews.com for not doing a little research.


[edit on 23-6-2008 by RRconservative]

[edit on 23-6-2008 by RRconservative]

This type of thing isn't so uncommon. It actually happened to me as well (although I didn't get any limbs blown off and I wasn't even in combat). I am a 65% disabled veteran now, but not quite like these folks coming back from Iraq missing arms or legs. Completely different situation. I thought it was bad when they wanted me to pay 4,000 dollars back for getting out before my reenlistment was up. These people are coming back from Iraq with lost limbs, shrapnel inside their bodies, and some of them don't even get disability benefits for shrapnel wounds and other conditions. Then they get forced to pay back their reenlistment bonuses if they get out on a medical before their reenlistment is up.

It was a different situation with me becuase my apartment burnt down in 2003 and I lost everything I owned 3 weeks after getting out. I filed for bankruptcy back before the new bankruptcy laws took effect and included the money I owed the government in the bankruptcy. But these people hounded me while I was in college, asking me to make 1000 dollar a month payments at the minimum. They were very intimidating, they meant business, and it was very uncomfortable having to deal with these people on the phone if you have company over.. At least for me, telling them to go screw themselves was a big plus . I wouldn't have given them a dime if I had to anyway.

EDIT:
It also doesn't help that many veterans simply don't know how to deal with the VA system. After dealing with active duty military life for X years, getting out is a completely different ballgame. It takes a while to get reacquanited with civilian life, but you never really forget the comradre, the passion for duty, and the sense of purpose the military brings to the table when you are directly involved from basic training on.

The VA is run by crazy people who think that shrapnel wounds are not considered service connected injuries, or that it's OK to diagnose people with multiple personality disorder when they have nothing involving any mental illness in their military records. Alot of people don't know about this, but diagnosing soldiers coming back from Iraq with multiple personality disorder (when the soldier has no such illness) is a loophole the VA uses to avoid paying soldiers 100% disability when they come home without limbs, vision, hearing, etc.. As a matter of fact, using this loophole, the VA can get away with not paying these soldiers a dime when their lives have been destroyed by war and combat, and for what? Serving our country?

Don't even get me on the fiasco about the social security numbers involving the VA employee who lost the computer when said SSN's weren't even supposed to be on the stupid thing. They had to send us all letters apologizing for their negligence.
(though, fortunately, my SSN wasn't one of the ones that was stolen)..

-ChriS

[edit on 23-6-2008 by BlasteR]

[edit on 23-6-2008 by BlasteR]

Originally posted by RRconservative
This story actually broke in November 2007. Not exactly breaking news. Obviously someone who doesn't like the military, or the Bush administration is trying to rehash something that happened and was quickly fixed.

Well, I wouldn't say exactly "fixed" and instead of being a Bush apologist and spin dr. might I suggest you do a little research of your own.

There is lots of evidence of how the Bush administration feels about vets.

Here's one....

www.truthout.org...

Originally posted by RRconservative
This story actually broke in November 2007. Not exactly breaking news. Obviously someone who doesn't like the military, or the Bush administration is trying to rehash something that happened and was quickly fixed.

www.af.mil...

11/26/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- If you are wounded in combat and discharged as a result, you will not have to pay back your enlistment bonus, Defense Department officials said here Nov. 26.

"Bonuses are not recouped simply for one's inability to complete an enlistment or re-enlistment agreement through no fault of the military member," a policy statement said.

Pentagon officials re-stated their policy after a wounded soldier in Pennsylvania received a bill from the Army. Jordan Fox was a private first class in Baqouba, Iraq, when he was wounded in the explosion of an improvised explosive device in May. Mr. Fox was partially blinded in his right eye and suffered a back injury when the bomb went off.

Shame on Naturalnews.com for not doing a little research.

Well, this.

I'm realy supposed to believe a news source souly payed for by one George, I hate America because I can't rule it, Soros???? ya right. I am not an appologist for Bush, you can stick that where the sun don't shine. You do realise that many leftovers from the Klinton administration have been playing games like this since he left office. No, they wouldn't do that..they are upstanding individuals who have NO axe to grind!!!. If any one is an appologist ,I believe its you.


Zindo