Ten years ago, the California National Guard was short on meeting its enlistment figures. This was in the midst of the Iraq War, and the California guard was being called on to send forces to that conflict on a regular basis. As a result, the guard began a program, with the full approval of the Pentagon, to pay bonuses of up to 15 thousand dollars to soldiers who would enlist or re-enlist in the guard. Many thousand men and women took the cash and signed on for more service with the guard. Nearly all of those soldiers served in Iraq or Afghanistan. They put themselves at risk for the USA and many were wounded. Some even were killed in action. Of course, that was ten years ago.
Flash forward a decade. In 2014, the Pentagon decided that the bonuses were not paid in all cases in accordance with regulations. In other words, the bureaucrats at the California guard offices made mistakes and paid some soldiers who were not technically entitled to get the cash. It is very important to keep in mind, however, that this was a mistake by the bureaucrats, not the soldiers. The soldiers who were paid the money had it offered to them as a re-enlistment bonus. These soldiers had no reason to question whether or not the bureaucrats had gotten it right. They had no reason to question whether or not the cash they were being paid was properly authorized. Thoese soldiers just got the money and used it for their needs and the needs of their families. That did not matter to the Pentagon, however, The morons at the Pentagon just contacted the soldiers and told them to give back the cash and to pay interest on it as well. Families that were living paycheck to paycheck were suddenly told they had to cough up twenty or thirty thousand dollars. Anyone who did not pay the cash back was subject to having their assets seized by the feds or their paychecks garnished. It was a nightmare for these soldiers and their families who had done nothing wrong. THEY HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG!!!!
For two years, this mess continued. The soldiers wrote to the White House, but got no help. They wrote to their senators, but were told that no help could be forthcoming. These soldiers and their families who had done so much for America were given the finger by official Washington and president Obama.
Then something changed. Some of the media got word of the story. It was featured prominently on Fox News. And the story came out in the middle of an election. Suddenly, Washington cared.
Today, secretary of defense, Ash Carter, tried to get beyond the damage being done by this story. He could have wiped away the efforts to take this cash back from the poor soldiers and their families. He didn't. Instead, Carter did the single most political thing that could be chosen. He stopped efforts to take back the cash until January of 2017. Carter did not let anyone off the hook for repayment. He just made sure that the story would be postponed until after the election. Obama and the Democrats screw over thousands of blameless soldiers and their families and when the story breaks, the response is to try to put off the problem until after the election.
IT'S A DISGRACE!!!!!!!
Flash forward a decade. In 2014, the Pentagon decided that the bonuses were not paid in all cases in accordance with regulations. In other words, the bureaucrats at the California guard offices made mistakes and paid some soldiers who were not technically entitled to get the cash. It is very important to keep in mind, however, that this was a mistake by the bureaucrats, not the soldiers. The soldiers who were paid the money had it offered to them as a re-enlistment bonus. These soldiers had no reason to question whether or not the bureaucrats had gotten it right. They had no reason to question whether or not the cash they were being paid was properly authorized. Thoese soldiers just got the money and used it for their needs and the needs of their families. That did not matter to the Pentagon, however, The morons at the Pentagon just contacted the soldiers and told them to give back the cash and to pay interest on it as well. Families that were living paycheck to paycheck were suddenly told they had to cough up twenty or thirty thousand dollars. Anyone who did not pay the cash back was subject to having their assets seized by the feds or their paychecks garnished. It was a nightmare for these soldiers and their families who had done nothing wrong. THEY HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG!!!!
For two years, this mess continued. The soldiers wrote to the White House, but got no help. They wrote to their senators, but were told that no help could be forthcoming. These soldiers and their families who had done so much for America were given the finger by official Washington and president Obama.
Then something changed. Some of the media got word of the story. It was featured prominently on Fox News. And the story came out in the middle of an election. Suddenly, Washington cared.
Today, secretary of defense, Ash Carter, tried to get beyond the damage being done by this story. He could have wiped away the efforts to take this cash back from the poor soldiers and their families. He didn't. Instead, Carter did the single most political thing that could be chosen. He stopped efforts to take back the cash until January of 2017. Carter did not let anyone off the hook for repayment. He just made sure that the story would be postponed until after the election. Obama and the Democrats screw over thousands of blameless soldiers and their families and when the story breaks, the response is to try to put off the problem until after the election.
IT'S A DISGRACE!!!!!!!
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