Wounded soldiers asked to return signing bonuses

[ProSense]

November 20, 2007

Wounded soldiers asked to return signing bonuses

Posted November 20th, 2007

When Jordan Fox was serving in Iraq, his mother helped organize Operation Pittsburgh Pride, which sends thousands of care packages to U.S. troops from his hometown, which prompted a personal “thank you” from the White House. When Fox was seriously injured in Iraq, the president sent what appeared to be personal note, expressing his concerns to the Fox family.

But more recently, Fox received a different piece of correspondence from the Bush administration.

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.

I watched the report from the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, and I kept thinking, “This can’t be right.” Apparently, it is.

In Jordan Fox’s case, he was seriously injured when a roadside bomb blew up his vehicle, causing back injuries and blindness in his right eye. He was sent home, unable to complete the final three months of his military commitment.

Last week, the Pentagon sent him a bill: Fox owed the government nearly $3,000 of his signing bonus.

more

This is how Bush supports the troops:

Bush Stuffs Spending Bills With Earmarks For Dad’s Foundation, Wife’s Librarian Program

In order to allow Bush to veto the Labor, Health and Education bill and continue his cutting "pork" meme, Repubs stripped Veterans Affairs funding from the bill: Bush: Failing our Veterans, Failing our Nation

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. This is so crappy!

[unhappycamper]

2. Amazing.

Just absolutelyfuckinglootly amazing.

[Bitwit1234]

3. Because he has failed his commitment to the American People

mainly our Veterans and our poor and needy, why don't we demand he return his salary for the last seven years, the money for all the perks given to a president, his food and lodging at the expense of the American people. HE HAS FAILED US MISERABLY AND TAKEN HIS SALARY AND SERVICES WITHOUT FULFILLING THIS PROMISE. lET'S ALL ASK OUR CONGRESSMEN TO SEND HIM AND CHENEY A BILL. RIGHT NOW.

[Toucano]

4. Greedy little bastard!

Trying to take his poor old Uncle Sam to the cleaners, is he?

Doesn't he know Uncle Sam is on a fixed income? Thank god! the Republicans are there to defend a weak old man against the thieving paws of a young, wiley cripple!

[babylonsister]

5. Rec'd with outrage.

:nuke:

[City Lights]

6. Absolutely disgusting!

:wtf:

Support the troops, my ass! :grr:

[provis99]

7. Supporting the troops again, I see.

Bush's administration is the most anti-military ever in U.S. history. He just despises soldiers, doesn't he?

[ClayZ]

8. They go so LOW! I am constantly astounded.

K and R

[qanda]

9. Just when you think there's no new low

Think again...

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

10. Are they being forced out?

My father was badly wounded in World War II when his plane was shot down over Germany. After he came home from the POW camp, it took military doctors several years to complete surgery on his legs so he could walk again. But the military kept him on and he became a career Air Force officer. At first he did desk work, getting around on crutches, and only later was able to walk and then fly airplanes again. Can't the modern American military find some way to keep these soldiers on, if just for a few months?

[MadMaddie]

30. Unfortunately they do have soldiars with prosthetics and other

injuries they survived....volunteer to go back to Iraq. So it is already happening but they are not keeping them stateside.

[sarcasmo]

11. All of this while Blackwater troops get a hundred grand a year.

Our Government SUCKS.

[Lochloosa]

12. Who has KO's email address.

:shrug:

[MiniMe]

13. Its a signing bonus, not a completion bonus.

They are so desperate to sign people up to go over that they offer huge bonuses, then pull the bonus if they get hurt serving. Damn it, be up front about it. Will they? Of course not, they couldn't get as many suckers in that case.

[kestrel91316]

14. K&R This has got to be one of the LOWEST, DIRTIEST things

I have ever heard of out of this or ANY administration. WTF is the matter with these people????????

Time to start writing letters and yelling and screaming about this!!!!!!!!

Fuck. Just FUCK.

[windoe]

15. Would * ever lose military support?

I respect loyalty and patriotism, but at what point does this end? With so many deaths, injuries, suicides and no financial support---truly, how far can * push these young men and women? His backup it seems is with the corporate private mercinaries.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Check how many former military

are running as Dems...

There is your answer

Troops cannot, while in uniform, tell you who they support

Troops don't make policy

[Rageneau]

16. We didn't keep your son's body, so please don't keep our bodybag.

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. Republicans are fucking looney tunes.

[ladjf]

18. In former times I would have said "unbelievable". But, now days,

it's just to be expected.

[scorpiogirl]

19. Yep. It happened to my brother in law.

He has a non-combat injury. The army released him and now they subtract some pro-rated amount for the signing bonus he got from his monthly checks. I think he was getting about $120/mo. He's had to fight to get more disability or whatever they call it. Now he's at 50% so he's getting more monthly but he's still paying back the bonus. It's total bullshit. I can't even imagine these guys who have had really terrible injuries having to worry about paying those fuckers back. Some thanks, eh?

[gollygee]

20. How much did these wounded soldiers pay for this war?

their eyesight? Their limbs? And now they're expected to pay back their signing bonuses? :(

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. So this is HOW REPUBLICANS support the troops

I see.

Why don't the dems run adds about this?

Oh never mimd this requires moving that damn boat!!!!!!!

Oh and yes, that little thing called a spine...

[robinlynne]

23. How about using that logic with Bechtel. It would net billions of dollars...

I mean did we really NEED the embroidery on the soldiers' hand towels in Iraq?

[FloridaJudy]

24. Just when I think this administration can't possibly sink any lower

They outdo themselves yet again!

What about dead? Are they allowed to keep their bonuses if they're killed? Gives a new meaning to "dead-beat". :sarcasm:

[cornfedyank]

25. did the dead fulfill their commitment?

or did they owe more. typical snafu.

[GoldenOldie]

26. Put a Name and a Face to the Order

When it says "The Pentagon," which is just a brick building and it cites "The Government," it allows the TRAITORS and the abusers to get off the hook. Someone or a group of individuals decided who should be penalized not a building nor an indiscriminate organization.

It is past time for those who make the decisions which hurt our troops or WE THE PEOPLE stand up and be accounted for.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

27. I spoke to an Iraqi vet who was told not to expect the promised education financial aid. ..n/t

[scorpiogirl]

33. That happened to my brother in law too

He is currently paying back his signing bonus and he has been unable to get the promised financing so he can go to school. He's had nothing but the run around from the army. It's ridiculous. He served a tour in Afghanistan before they released him. He joined to try to improve his life. What a joke.

[LibertyorDeath]

28. That's Par for the course

They don't really give a flying fuck about the Troops

They Never have....

"You give me back my legs and I'll give you back your 30K"

You corporate scum sucking piece of shit.....

[Mythsaje]

29. Are they trying to destroy the U.S. military?

You'd have to be a bozoid to even consider enlisting these days. And if people realize that THIS is how they repay sacrifice?

Fucking insane.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

34. I think they just want every dollar to go to their defense interests. ..n/t

[caligirl]

31. next story: all parents and spousal survivors of dead soldiers give us back our money.

And I thought the insurance industry was bad!

[beachmom]

32. The signing bonuses are a raw deal. I know someone who had

done his 20 years, and was re-signing up year by year. He said it was pointless to sign up for the signing bonus (which locked you into 4 additional years), because it is not all at once, plus with taxes taken out, and the risk of either being wounded or killed, and you get nothing. Sounds like he made the right decision. He is now out of the service.

[WinkyDink]

35. The evil of George Bush has no bounds.