Pentagon After Soldiers

From the BBC:

"Outrage over US attempt to recoup veteran bonuses"

Thousands of California National Guard soldiers have been ordered to repay enlistment bonuses given to them a decade after they signed up to serve.  Pentagon audits found the California Guard overpaid recruits in an effort to fill the shortage of troops during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lawmakers and veteran leaders decried the decision on Monday, calling on the Pentagon to absolve the debts.  Soldiers face interest charges and wage garnishments if they refuse to pay.  The welfare of veterans has been a central plank of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, although the issue has not figured much in the three TV debates. In the latest scandal, nearly 10,000 soldiers are expected to repay upwards of $15,000 each after a 2010 federal investigation found that the California Guard doled out more money in bonuses and student loan payments than it was supposed to, according to US media. The total amount given out is still unclear, but the Los Angeles Times reported that $22m (£18m) has been recovered in California so far.  Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton said she was "appalled" by the news.  "It is unacceptable to now subject them and their families to undue financial burdens thanks to mismanagement from the California National Guard and rigid bureaucracy on the part of the Pentagon." Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump pointed to the incident as an example of a "corrupt" system.  "This can only happen with these incompetent people we have," he said at a rally in Florida. "No common sense. They're incompetent."  At least 54 members of Congress and the California state legislature sent letters to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, calling on the Pentagon to stop the collections and provide more details.  "We understand other states may have been affected but are pending verification of which ones,'' National Guard Bureau spokeswoman Laura Ochoa told the AP news agency. "California is where the majority of this occurred." Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the directive "disgraceful" while Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urged for legislation to halt the collection.   Maj Gen Matthew Beevers, deputy commander of the California Guard, said the California Guard was working with lawmakers to introduce a measure that would clear the debts.  Four people were convicted of fraud over the improper use of funds.  Navy Capt Jeff Davis, a Defense Department spokesman, said the agency would work with the Army, National Guard Bureau and California Army National Guard to "strengthen efforts to respond to this situation".

^ Why should the soldiers be forced to repay the bonuses they received when it was given to them legally and they fulfilled their part of the contact. It is the State of California and the California National Guard that should have to repay the Pentagon - not the soldiers themselves.  This is a horrible way for the Pentagon and California to "thank" the men and women who risked their lives to protect us.  ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37766784