Pentagon suspends National Guard bonus repayments
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon worked Wednesday to stave off a public relations nightmare, suspending efforts to force California National Guard troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to repay their enlistment bonuses that may have been improperly awarded.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered the suspension in the wake of angry reaction from congressional Republicans and Democrats. They demanded he relieve the burden on Guard members following news reports that soldiers were asked to repay bonuses that in some cases totaled more than $25,000.
The announcement does not end the reimbursement process, but postpones collection efforts while the Pentagon and Congress look for a solution.
President Barack Obama had warned the Defense Department earlier this week not to “nickel and dime” service members who were victims of wrongdoing by recruiters.
In a statement issued during a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, Mr. Carter said efforts to collect reimbursement from Guard members should stop “as soon as is practical.” Mr. Carter said he has ordered the department to set up a streamlined process by Jan. 1 to help troops get relief from the repayment, because the current program has moved too slowly.
Peter Levine, acting under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told reporters Wednesday the process of identifying and processing the California Guard members who might have to repay the money may take 10 days.
“If we determine that recoupment was unjustified, there will be a process that allows the recovery of that and the reversal of that money,” Mr. Levine said.
Among about 14,000 California Guard members whose bonuses and other incentive payments were reviewed, about 3,000 of those are men and women have since left the National Guard, Mr. Levine said. They will be eligible for repayment, but it hasn’t been determined how those cases will be handled since they do not have current addresses or contact details for many of those individuals, he added.