FattyJJ

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Caught this today, I cannot believe the audacity and complete disrespect that is being shown here. Please read this and pass it on to every other forum you are part of, while this war may be a ploy to make a bunch of people rich, we need to protect our injured veterans from this ridiculous type of harassment.


http://kdka.com/kdkainvestigators/m...s.2.571660.html

Wounded Soldier: Military Wants Part Of Bonus Back

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... because I'm proud of the discipline that I learned. I'm proud to have done 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.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

joerockhead

I am going to have to get more info before I can comment fairly on this. There has to be some other reason that is not stated.

Also, this article is a little misleading, even though it states for soldiers that have signing bonuses as much as 30k, it only gives one example, and that man's bonus was 10K.

If this is true, and there are no other circumstances warranting the Army wanting its 3k, then someone in the army is really Jacked up.

But as I said, I need more proof and info

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CWB

i have to agree . something does not sound quite right with the scenario .
injury in the line of duty does not constitute an intentional breech of contract .
there is a difference between "unable due to mitigating circumstances" and "unwilling to fulfill" .

joerockhead

Said better then I could and in less time

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Visit the worlds best website -
www.badass67.com - Black Sunshine

mstad

I can confirm this. I never made it to combat, but I got out of the Army early due to a training related injury, and within a year had a govt. agency calling me about paying back the "unearned" portion of my enlistment bonus I had recived before getting out.

FattyJJ

video
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/11/20...m-wounded-vets/

ddoubleez

My uncle was drafted into Vietnam, shot by friendly fire while taking a leak.... A .222 traveled through his face and took an eye....

He gets a check for 900 per month and bags groceries on the base for tips, no hourly wage.....

My grandmother got a ship to shore phone call to let her know he son was shot and the call was cut short, did not know anything else for 3 days.... My mom said she started planning a funeral....

facepeeler

this sounds like something I heard right before I went over the first time, a 1LT had his vehicle attacked and in the process it destroyed his IBA. His injuries were enough that he was let out of the military, but they tried to give him a statement of charges for the IBA he didn't turn in.

Long story short, paperwork got fucked up somewhere, shit hit the fan, and he ended up not having to pay anything.

Sounds like here the same thing has happened, paperwork got fucked up and they are asking for the money back because the system thinks he got out for non combat related shit.

There was a story I read last week or so talking about the VA's old-ass ratings system was considering amputations and head injuries "non-war related injuries" and was shafting people out of their disability money. And one of the people this happened to was the damn Illinois VA representative:



fuck-ups are made, and then they are corrected as they are caught.

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Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

mstad

My injury was non-combat related, and I still get disability from it.


I talked to VA about the bonus repayment, and they said that's just how it works. I made payments on it at first, because I was confused about it. After about 1 1/2 years, I said fuck it and stopped sending money every month. They bugged me for awhile(the agency I had to send the money to), but I haven't heard from them in quite some time. THey got a good $2,500 back from me, but I finally decided they're not gonna see one more dime outta me for something I earned, whether they think I did or not.

FattyJJ

Good post, and yeah, its possible that its a fuck up in the system, but its still no excuse. The news story said "thousands" though, but I havnt heard of anyone else coming forward. One person told me that a follow-up was done about this, but he has yet to send me the link.

I tried to get disability from the Marines when I got out for a fucked up back and hamstring from running so much, but they didnt seem to think I rated anything. So now I deal with that shit daily, thanks VA!

mstad

You gotta go to VA and apply for service connected disability many times before they approve it.

FattyJJ

They told me on my final physical that it wouldnt do any good to go. I've been out for about 2 years now, do you think I still have a shot?

facepeeler

as long as you have it in your medical records that you hurt your back in the Corps, you should be able to go to the VA and get evaluated. I won't bullshit ya, it's gonna take forever and a day to get an appointment, but you will get one. It takes a long ass time.

But going through the military to get disability is gonna get you nowhere. You gotta go through the VA for that. And of course they're gonna tell you it's gonna do you no good, they don't want you going and getting money for your issues.

___________________________________________


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

FattyJJ

Ok, here is the follow-up saying it was a "mistake"
http://kdka.com/kdkainvestigators/I...s.2.592432.html

But, here is another follow-up saying how common place this kind of thing is.....you be the judge
http://kdka.com/kdkainvestigators/A...r.2.593639.html