An “outraged” California Democrat Julia Brownley, called it “mismanagement,” and a CA Republican Congressman said it was a “boneheaded decision.” Both were talking about the Pentagon demanding CA National Guard members repay deployment bonuses they received during the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.
Based on an RT report, fraud and mismanagement among recruiters led to a number of CA soldiers receiving bonus incentives they didn't qualify for.
However the solders who were not responsible for these enlistment scams are the ones being punished. The government has gone as far as garnishing their wages and ruining their credit in the process of demanding repayment. Even some badly injured during their tours of duty are being targeted. Others who could not fulfill their contracts because they were reassigned and had no choice but to obey orders are not exempt either.
The LA Times says that the Pentagon “hounded” one veteran even though he was diagnosed as 90% disabled from combat-related head and back injuries! After the Times broke this story, the Pentagon finally agreed to temporarily suspend payback demands for CA National Guard members.
However, there’s still no assurance that all alleged debts of redeployed soldiers or even Purple Heart recipients will be cancelled or that other states won’t be audited and their soldiers hounded for repayment in the future.
After serving two or more tours of duty, no soldier in any state should have to fight the Pentagon. Sign this petition to demand all bonus collections in all states be cancelled - and those already paid refunded.
To the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Ash Carter:
If anyone should be responsible for repayment of bonus money due to errors or fraud by recruiters, it should be those who committed the errors and fraud, not the soldiers who risked their lives and are now struggling to live with injuries and other costs of serving multiple tours of duty.
I, the undersigned, agree that solders who fight in wars, especially those who serve more than one tour of duty or those who are wounded and/or disabled should not have to come home and fight the Pentagon.
Therefore I and those supporting this petition demand that these bonus repayment demands end at once - permanently - and all alleged debts are cancelled - for soldiers in all states.
Thanks for your time.
