Our great goverment at work

[Duster]

Wounded Soldier: Military Wants Part Of Bonus Back
Marty Griffin - PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―

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.

One of them is Jordan Fox, a young soldier from the South Hills.

He finds solace in the hundreds of boxes he loads onto a truck in Carnegie. In each box is a care package that will be sent to a man or woman serving in Iraq. It was in his name Operation Pittsburgh Pride was started.

Fox was seriously injured when a roadside bomb blew up his vehicle. He was knocked unconscious. His back was injured and lost all vision in his right eye.

A few months later Fox was sent home. His injuries prohibited him from fulfilling three months of his commitment. A few days ago, he received a letter from the military demanding nearly $3,000 of his signing bonus back.

"I tried to do my best and serve my country. I was unfortunately hurt in the process. Now they're telling me they want their money back," he explained.

It's a slap for Fox's mother, Susan Wardezak, who met with President Bush in Pittsburgh last May. He thanked her for starting Operation Pittsburgh Pride which has sent approximately 4,000 care packages.

He then sent her a letter expressing his concern over her son's injuries, so she cannot understand the U.S. Government's apparent lack of concern over injuries to countless U.S. Soldiers and demands that they return their bonuses.

While he's unsure of his future, Fox says he's unwavering in his commitment to his country.

"I'd do it all over again... because I'm proud of the discipline that I learned. I'm proud to have done something for my country," he said.

But Fox feels like he's already given enough. He'll never be able to pursue his dream of being a police officer because of his wounds and he can't believe he's being asked to return part of his $10,000 signing bonus.

KDKA contacted Congressman Jason Altmire on his behalf. He says he has proposed a bill that would guarantee soldiers receive full benefit of bonuses.
_________________

[WildmanWilson]

I saw that story the other day. What a load of total crap. We need to make sure these guys get to keep this money. What a shame the goverment is this cheap. They waste billions of dollars but they will collect what amounts to pennies from the guys that really should get it. Makes me sick. :mad:

[Duster]

Are you willing to take a few minutes to do this ?


I have already sent an e-mail to my Senator urging support for the Altmire proposed bill. I would encourage everyone on this site to e-mail, write their Congress-persons about this issue. If Everyone on here plus those on some other sites who have heard about this sent 2 e-mails, maybe someone would listen and we could garner some support to stop this madness.

I do understand in this case someone donated the funds to pay back the money wanted back by the army, but this is just one case who knows how many other wounded soldiers will be told they owe back money. I also wonder if the familys of those KIA will be contact by the army wanting enlistment bonuses back due to the fact the soldier didn't fullfill his contract obligaton.

[biggun]

You guys should remember if it came by email that its probably not true.

[Duster]

You guys should remember if it came by email that its probably not true.


It did not come by e-mail but posted on the army parents board and like said seen in the news both paper and tv. I edit part of the cut and paste I did that had the call letters of the tv station and network affilate company that owns it. CBS was the reporting network

[Multidigits]

It did not come by e-mail but posted on the army parents board and like said seen in the news both paper and tv. I edit part of the cut and paste I did that had the call letters of the tv station and network affilate company that owns it. CBS was the reporting network

Thought Dan Rather got axed??

Looks like this was a mistake in billing and has been corrected....No bonus money going back to the Army. Wasn't any money donated to pay the bill, because the bill went away when the mistake was discovered.

[Duster]

Thought Dan Rather got axed??

Looks like this was a mistake in billing and has been corrected....No bonus money going back to the Army. Wasn't any money donated to pay the bill, because the bill went away when the mistake was discovered.

My My Multi your getting real argumentive here lately. Trying to get a argument started on this thread so you can get it locked down also ?


Maybe you need to go over to this site and tell these fokes They are ALL wrong.


http://www.goarmyparents.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6182

And go here and listen to the interview, scroll down link is on right side of page....Marty talks to army soldier Jason Fox

http://www.kdkaradio.com/

[Multidigits]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07326/835970-84.stm

The Army made a mistake, admitted it and fixed the probablem. No big oil or Bush govn. policy to screw over Army grunts. The title to your thread suggests that the Government was behind this whole screw-up, and that's 100% wrong. Lot's of soldiers don't finish out their commitments and should pay back some of the money, but there has never been a policy by our government to force wounded vets to do so.

[Duster]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07326/835970-84.stm

The Army made a mistake, admitted it and fixed the probablem. No big oil or Bush govn. policy to screw over Army grunts. The title to your thread suggests that the Government was behind this whole screw-up, and that's 100% wrong. Lot's of soldiers don't finish out their commitments and should pay back some of the money, but there has never been a policy by our government to force wounded vets to do so.


Multi I made no refrence to your man Bush or big oil at anytime in this post. And if the military is not part of our goverment then thats news to me. It would have looked a lot better on your part to just post up that link in the first place rather than call me out.

I made this post in good faith, at the time the issue was not resolved as far as I knew. I do thank you for the link and am thankfull someone in goverment admitted a mistake was made and it will be taken care of.

[Multidigits]

Multi I made refrence to your man Bush at anytime in this post. And if the military is not part of our goverment then thats news to me.

I made this post in good faith, at the time the issue was not resolved as far as I knew. I do thank you for the link and am thankfull someone in goverment admitted a mistake was made and it will be taken care of.

The Army admitted the mistake, not the Government. The Army is not a branch of the Government. They are an employer, just like a business, if someone doesn't own up to their contract, one of the other employees sends out a balance due bill. That would include guys that simply decide they don't want to be in the Army ant more as well as someone that got wounded in a war or non-combat accident. The later ones aren't normally billed for anything. This is/was a simple mistake made by a very large agency, I'm sure there are plenty more made every week that get fixed in the same fashion. For example, there was a Ft. Campbell soldier that was AWOL and found in a VA hospital here in Ky. this week. Made the news, but will also have a happy ending.

BTW- Where was the part that you were "called out" - Must have missed it. your post did out the blame on the Government and not the Army as another attempt to smear the Bush Administration, but that's to be expected.

[Duster]

BTW- Where was the part that you were "called out" - Must have missed it. your post did out the blame on the Government and not the Army as another attempt to smear the Bush Administration, but that's to be expected.

There is more to the goverment than just Bush, I placed the blame on where it should go not on one individual. Maybe you need a reading lesson also like another that post here. You want to nit pick who the army belongs to then have at it but they are goverment related like it or not.

Maybe you are tore up due to a democrat trying to introduce a bill and beat a republican to it that makes sure things like this don't happen again...:D

[Multidigits]

There is more to the goverment than just Bush, I placed the blame on where it should go not on one individual. Maybe you need a reading lesson also like another that post here. You want to nit pick who the army belongs to then have at it but they are goverment related like it or not.

Maybe you are tore up due to a democrat trying to introduce a bill and beat a republican to it that makes sure things like this don't happen again...:D

Sorry, not tore up at all, but your last sentence highlights what this is all about to you....politics.

[Duster]

Wrong again Multi..it is all about supporting the troop's that someone was trying to screw over.