Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Keep this in mind the next time a Bush supporter blathers on about the need to support the troops. The Pentagon is demanding that soldiers injured in combat pay back part of their signup bonus because they were unable to fulfill their full commitment. Seriously.
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.
Here's their local example:
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.
I don't know why they're bitching. I'm sure Bush has a yellow ribbon on the Presidential limousine. What more do you want? Actual support rather than lip service? Go figure.
By the way, here's a great way to support the troops serving overseas right now. Go to AnySoldier.com. You can do a search for soldiers from your home state and they have emails telling you the things they need. You can send care packages to a specific soldier or to their unit with things that will make their time there a bit easier. I'm working on an article for the Michigan Messenger about the troops from our state currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and how we can help make their lives a little easier.
Comments
This is satire, isn't it?
Posted by: Thony C. | November 23, 2007 11:05 AM
Sadly no, Thorny. It's not satire.
Posted by: CHV | November 23, 2007 11:56 AM
Interesting that over on the Fox News web page I can't find a bit of headline on this Pentagon story, but of course, they're awash in Natalee Holloway updates and a story about a two-faced cat born in Arizona.
Their journalistic integrity just brings a tear to my eye...
Posted by: CHV | November 23, 2007 12:00 PM
I wish I could say "Unbelievable!" I'm constantly amazed that these people can wrap themselves in the cloak of patriotism (they're the Pentagon for cryin' out loud!) and still do stuff like this. How is it war supporters, and especially veterans, don't go ballistic?
Posted by: Angie | November 23, 2007 12:45 PM
This appears to be a SNAFU by the army, not the result of some nefarious plan to cheat veterans. The database probably has a field that looks to see if the soldier is still on active duty and if not checked and the date is prior to original service agreement, it kicks out a "we want a refund" letter. Understand that pay and benefits are determined by a computer program with all its attendant flaws.
BTW - Fox covered this story a couple of days ago when it broke. As a veteran, I abhor the current deserter-in-chief and his 5 deferment lackey but somewhere along the line you must recognize that not even these bastards have that much chutzpah.
Posted by: Onkel Bob | November 23, 2007 1:30 PM
The US military has responded, rather tepidly, to this story. Talking Points Memo has been following it.
Posted by: the chaplain | November 23, 2007 1:51 PM
Onkel Bob is basically correct, it's a paperwork error. Problem is, it is simply symptomatic of an administration that is superficially patriotic and a party that claims to support the troops but almost never does.
The GOP has a long history of "supporting" the troops through low pay, cutting benefits and services, sending them poorly equipped into harm's way, etc. Their idea of supporting the troops involves spending massive amounts of money on equipment that they may or may not ever actually use, but does nice things for the contractors who are, after all, the GOP base, IE wealthy corporate sponsors.
Posted by: dogmeatib | November 23, 2007 2:13 PM
Thanks for your input, Bob.
I guess I just wouldn't put anything past this administration; in my view, they are shameless. I wouldn't trust them if they told me the sky was blue.
Posted by: CHV | November 23, 2007 5:06 PM
Reminds me of the original meaning of the term chauvinism .
Even if it is a paperwork error, it seems to show rather poor oversight and common sense among bureaucrats.
Common sense? What was I thinking?
Posted by: BaldApe | November 23, 2007 7:16 PM
And another thing I just remembered...
Way back when, I re-enlisted for a 5 term. Since I was in one of the valuable AFSC's I was given a bonus. I chose the option of receiving 50% at re-enlistment and 10% every year afterward (other choice was 20% every year). However, in the last year, we had a RiF, and I volunteered for early separation. Although I only left 4 months early, there was a question whether I would have needed to return that portion of the bonus. I was not asked to return that money.
So the real question should be whether soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines that are involuntarily separated due to injury will receive the bonuses due them for their uncompleted service. It's not as if they intended to leave, they made a real good faith effort to complete their duty and circumstances prevented them from fulfilling their obligation. This is akin to a professional sports team buying out the contract of a player or coach.
Yeah, the system sucks, but that's what happens when it's that big. Poor oversight? Whattaya want from a group that lost $9 billion dollars as it was offloaded from the C-130's? FWIW, this administration may not be as corrupt as we like to believe. It may be that the incompetence is simply magnified by the circumstances. Remember, pork barrel spending comes from Civil War days. Stealing from the public weal by overcharging during large government expenditures is a long tradition going back to the dawn of civilization.
Posted by: Onkel Bob | November 23, 2007 10:06 PM
My programming skills are minimal, but even I could write an if/then that checks for a Purple Heart or disability claim before generating a gimme letter.
Posted by: Pieter B | November 24, 2007 12:39 PM