U.S. Misses Soldier Reimbursement Deadline

[Sleepless In NY]

U.S. Misses Soldier Reimbursement Deadline

1 minute ago White House - AP Cabinet & State


By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department hasn't developed a plan to reimburse soldiers for equipment they've bought to fight in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) despite requirements in a law passed last year, a senator says.


In a letter sent Wednesday to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (news, bio, voting record), D-Conn., asked details on the Pentagon (news - web sites)'s progress setting up the reimbursement program and questioned why it was not in place yet.


"Very simply, this is either negligence on their part, because they were not happy with this when it passed, or it's incompetence," Dodd said. "It's pretty outrageous when you have all their rhetoric about how much we care about our people in uniform."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&e=1&u=/ap/iraq_armor

[whistle]

1. The military has not missed a payment yet to contractors in...

...Iraq, have they!

[skids]

2. Don't remind me...

:grr: :grr: :grr:

...as much as I think the debate about the war in general is important, I really do hate to see those leeches mince gleefully away with our tax dollars with little fanfare, while everyone is distracted by the horror of it all on much more human terms.

[dbt]

3. "Support Our Troops," my shiny metal ass!

[Pinboy]

4. "Pretty outrageous" pretty much nails it. Good for Dodd, and Kerry.

[leftchick]

5. US slow in reimbursing soldiers

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3F511352-22D5-48C6-8A68-EC8116355989.htm

The US Defence Department has not yet developed a plan to reimburse soldiers for equipment they bought to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan despite a law passed last year.


Senator Christopher Dodd in a letter to Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday asked details on the Pentagon's progress in setting up the reimbursement programme and questioned why it was not in place yet.

"Very simply, this is either negligence on their part, because they were not happy with this when it passed, or it's incompetence," Dodd said.

"It's pretty outrageous when you have all their rhetoric about how much we care about our people in uniform."

The Pentagon had no immediate comment.

[rocktivity]

6. How dare Dodd do such a thing!

He obviously doesn't support the troops!

:eyes:
rocknation

[leesa]

7. Dang! Hate that when it happens!

[AlCzervik]

8. Why in hell are they buying stuff to fight, why isn't it issued to them?

[knitter4democracy]

9. Check out this site:

http://www.anysoldier.com/index.cfm

It's frightening what-all they need. Med teams need scrubs. Soldiers need socks. They don't even have enough sunscreen or laundry facilities.

:wtf:

[AlCzervik]

10. so the military doesn't supply them with things? What the hell?

Is that normal policy or is this something just under Chimpoleon?

[knitter4democracy]

11. I don't know.

All I know is that, one day searching for where to donate socks for the soldiers, I stumbled across that site and sat there and cried. Cried! I couldn't help it. All those kids needing such basic things! Where the hell is our money going if it isn't going for the basics?! I mean, we've always had to supplement what the government supplies, going all the way back to the War for Independence, but this is ridiculous! Socks?!

:cry:

[Divernan]

14. If a thousand poster on DU hasn't seen stories about parents

and friends and soldiers having to buy body armor, global positioning units for tanks, etc., you can imagine how many other Americans haven't heard about it.

[knitter4democracy]

15. It's not just that stuff, either.

It's all the little stuff you'd swear a no-bid contract would get them--like clothes!

[rasputin1952]

16. The military will issue many items to the troops, and in combat

operations, will replace durable goods such as socks/boot/uniforms.

It is imperative that Commanders, from Theater size to Company size, requisition items used by the troops. Virtually everything you can purchase on the market, can be requisitioned by the military, it is a question of those in Command and how they deal with Class 6 items.

Fuel, ammo, weapons replacement parts all take priority over other items. Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 items, are at the head of the line. Personal items, are down there...but a good Sup
In the scheme of things though, supply is through Command Channels, and that is where the problem is. I can recall getting flashlights, but no batteries; vials of morphine, but no syringes or needles; grenades, but no fuses....everyone who has served in the military knows of horror stories in the supply chain. They try, but Commanders fail.

[Erika]

12. Some wonder why Bush is detested so badly

This is one of the many reasons. He lies, lies, and then lies some more. The situation in Iraq is horrible for our troops.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

13. The Bush Admin has also failed to reimburse D.C. for the inauguration

according to this Yahoo! story, to the tune of $12 million. The Bush Administration is still shuffling its feet, putting them off, regarding the bill for the city's security services.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050309/ap_on_re_us/inaugural_costs_1

[Moderator]

17. kick to combine

[True_Blue]

18. Plan to Reimburse Cost of Combat Gear Has Fallen Behind

WASHINGTON, March 9 - The Pentagon has not developed guidelines for allowing soldiers, their families and charities to be reimbursed for the cost of some combat equipment they bought for use in Iraq and Afghanistan, despite a new law that called for such a plan by February.

The law permits groups and individuals to make claims for up to $1,100 for certain purchases made from Sept. 11, 2001, to July 31, 2004. It required that the Department of Defense set rules and standards for the reimbursement program by Feb. 25, but that has not been done.

Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Wednesday urging compliance. "There should be no higher priority for our government than ensuring that American troops are well equipped," Mr. Dodd wrote, adding that "the critical contributions of their families and communities" have sought to ensure the safety of those men and women.

A spokesman for the Pentagon said Mr. Rumsfeld would respond to Mr. Dodd after reviewing the letter.

more....
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/11/politics/11combat.html

[TacticalPeek]

19. President AWOL.

Or is it President Stupid?

:grr: