Pentagon Halts Effort to Take Back Signing Bonuses Paid to National Guard Members
The Pentagon is suspending its debt collection program to claw back bonuses paid to thousands of California National Guard soldiers who re-enlisted to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, with Defense Secretary Ash Carter calling the current situation “unacceptable.”
Citing a duty to keep promises to service members, Carter said he’s ordering the Pentagon’s Defense Finance and Accounting Service to “suspend all efforts to collect reimbursement from affected California National Guard members” until he’s satisfied that the process has become more efficient and fair.
Carter’s move comes after thousands of guard members were told they needed to repay large re-enlistment signing bonuses and tuition aid — money that was offered as an incentive to stay in a U.S. military that was fighting two wars.