Results 1 to 29 of 29

Thread: Thousands of soldiers forced to repay enlistment bonuses a decade after going to wa

  1. #1

    Thousands of soldiers forced to repay enlistment bonuses a decade after going to wa

    Pro-life-tip: You, and those you killed, were screwed from the get go.


    Short of troops to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan a decade ago, the California National Guard enticed thousands of soldiers with bonuses of $15,000 or more to reenlist and go to war.

    Now the Pentagon is demanding the money back.

    Nearly 10,000 soldiers, many of whom served multiple combat tours, have been ordered to repay large enlistment bonuses — and slapped with interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens if they refuse — after audits revealed widespread overpayments by the California Guard at the height of the wars last decade.

    Investigations have determined that lack of oversight allowed for widespread fraud and mismanagement by California Guard officials under pressure to meet enlistment targets.

    But soldiers say the military is reneging on 10-year-old agreements and imposing severe financial hardship on veterans whose only mistake was to accept bonuses offered when the Pentagon needed to fill the ranks.

    “These bonuses were used to keep people in,” said Christopher Van Meter, a 42-year-old former Army captain and Iraq veteran from Manteca, Calif., who says he refinanced his home mortgage to repay $25,000 in reenlistment bonuses and $21,000 in student loan repayments that the Army says he should not have received. “People like me just got screwed.”
    http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...nap-story.html



  2. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  3. #2

  4. #3
    Slightly off topic, but the term "Indian Giving" seems like something else could be used in its place. Any suggestions?
    1776 > 1984

    The FAILURE of the United States Government to operate and maintain an
    Honest Money System , which frees the ordinary man from the clutches of the money manipulators, is the single largest contributing factor to the World's current Economic Crisis.

    The Elimination of Privacy is the Architecture of Genocide

    Belief, Money, and Violence are the three ways all people are controlled

    Quote Originally Posted by Zippyjuan View Post
    Our central bank is not privately owned.

  5. #4

  6. #5
    This is wrong on so many levels, this is a plain and simple betrayal.

  7. #6
    The government should ask the banks for all the money back.
    Pfizer Macht Frei!

    Openly Straight Man, Danke, Awarded Top Rated Influencer. Community Standards Enforcer.


    Quiz: Test Your "Income" Tax IQ!

    Short Income Tax Video

    The Income Tax Is An Excise, And Excise Taxes Are Privilege Taxes

    The Federalist Papers, No. 15:

    Except as to the rule of appointment, the United States have an indefinite discretion to make requisitions for men and money; but they have no authority to raise either by regulations extending to the individual citizens of America.

  8. #7
    If these soldiers had engaged in welfare fraud instead, they wouldn't have to worry about getting caught or being penalized.

    Edit: Not that they engaged in fraud in this case. This was the government's fault for offering and giving it to them.
    Last edited by Brian4Liberty; 10-23-2016 at 12:09 PM.
    "Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
    "Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
    "Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
    "Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul

    Proponent of real science.
    The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.

  9. #8
    They will almost always be able to find minor paperwork errors. This was a fishing expedition. There is a distinct possibility that this is one of those vindictive actions meant to inflict maximum pain on mundanes, to take the heat off of them for decades of fiscal waste and insanity. "We can't stop or even track spending, it will hurt the soldiers!"

    In 2010, after reports surfaced of improper payments, a federal investigation found that thousands of bonuses and student loan payments were given to California Guard soldiers who did not qualify for them, or were approved despite paperwork errors.
    ...
    Instead of forgiving the improper bonuses, the California Guard assigned 42 auditors to comb through paperwork for bonuses and other incentive payments given to 14,000 soldiers, a process that was finally completed last month.

    Roughly 9,700 current and retired soldiers have been told by the California Guard to repay some or all of their bonuses and the recoupment effort has recovered more than $22 million so far.
    "Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
    "Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
    "Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
    "Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul

    Proponent of real science.
    The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.



  10. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  11. #9
    Uncle Sucker.

    $#@!ing The Troops Over Since 1776.

  12. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian4Liberty View Post
    They will almost always be able to find minor paperwork errors. This was a fishing expedition. There is a distinct possibility that this is one of those vindictive actions meant to inflict maximum pain on mundanes, to take the heat off of them for decades of fiscal waste and insanity. "We can't stop or even track spending, it will hurt the soldiers!"
    If only there were a way to audit the Government and get them to pay back everything they took and spent "in error."
    Genuine, willful, aggressive ignorance is the one sure way to tick me off. I wish I could say you were trolling. I know better, and it's just sad.

  13. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian4Liberty View Post
    If these soldiers had engaged in welfare fraud instead, they wouldn't have to worry about getting caught or being penalized.

    Edit: Not that they engaged in fraud in this case. This was the government's fault for offering and giving it to them.
    If the enlistee committed fraud, then yes, they should pay it back. But this was not their fault and they should not have to pay for the mistakes of others.

  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian4Liberty View Post
    They will almost always be able to find minor paperwork errors. This was a fishing expedition. There is a distinct possibility that this is one of those vindictive actions meant to inflict maximum pain on mundanes, to take the heat off of them for decades of fiscal waste and insanity. "We can't stop or even track spending, it will hurt the soldiers!"
    There is no such thing as "paperwork" errors in a contract. Ever.

  15. #13

  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Zippyjuan View Post
    If the enlistee committed fraud, then yes, they should pay it back. But this was not their fault and they should not have to pay for the mistakes of others.
    If an ATM overpaid someone I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune.

    I shouldn't have to pay for the mistakes of others. By that I mean, they shouldn't have been paid to begin with.

  17. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by kcchiefs6465 View Post
    If an ATM overpaid someone I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune.
    In the ATM scenario, the person is able to ascertain that "Hey, wow! I was just overpaid." In these widespread military recruitment incidents, there does not seem to be any way the recruitees could have known this information. They had no reason to believe that the recruiters were breaking the military's rules in any way.

  18. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by helmuth_hubener View Post
    In the ATM scenario, the person is able to ascertain that "Hey, wow! I was just overpaid." In these widespread military recruitment incidents, there does not seem to be any way the recruitees could have known this information. They had no reason to believe that the recruiters were breaking the military's rules in any way.
    A better anology might be the loans given out during the housing bubble. "Congratulations, you qualify for this big loan!" "Really?! Ok, I'll take it!"
    "Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
    "Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
    "Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
    "Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul

    Proponent of real science.
    The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.



  19. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  20. #17
    Great! When can I expect my check for my portion of these unapproved funds taken from me?
    No - No - No - No
    2016

  21. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian4Liberty View Post
    If these soldiers had engaged in welfare fraud instead, they wouldn't have to worry about getting caught or being penalized.

    Edit: Not that they engaged in fraud in this case. This was the government's fault for offering and giving it to them.
    Except for the fact that they catch thousands of people for welfare fraud and they get penalized all the time.

    2 Indianapolis women plead guilty in $101,872 welfare fraud scheme


    Two Indianapolis women have admitted to their involvement in a $101,872 welfare scheme, Marion Superior Court records show.

    Debera Anderson, 44, pleaded guilty Friday to felony counts of welfare fraud and theft. She submitted forged documents in order to receive $20,160 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to which she was not entitled, according to court records.

    In return for Anderson's guilty plea, Marion County prosecutors agreed to dismiss nine other felonies against her.

    On Friday, Marion Superior Court Magistrate Amy Barbar sentenced Anderson to two years of probation, 80 hours of community service and $20,160 in restitution — which was the total amount she was accused of taking, court records show. Any restitution still owed after Anderson completes probation will become a civil judgment.
    http://www.indystar.com/story/news/c...heme/81107812/

    It turns out that even the govt don't like to be played by ordinary mundanes. Do a google search on the topic and you would see this is not an isolated incident.

  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by kcchiefs6465 View Post
    If an ATM overpaid someone I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune.

    I shouldn't have to pay for the mistakes of others. By that I mean, they shouldn't have been paid to begin with.
    Like other have pointed out. This is such a bad analogy. When you receive extra cash than you asked for, you know instantly that something wrong happened. But when recruiter trying to entice you to put your life on the line offers you money, you don't naturally think something is wrong. Even when they offer you more money than was stated in the brochure, most honest people would assume that the recruiter is going off latest updates and just trying to close the deal.

    I doubt these bureaucrats would dare come after some poor guy in the VA and nothing under his name because he cannot work due to the physical disability sustained during the war. But there would be no problem going after the same person for the money if they fraudulently took extra money that don't belong to them from an ATM machine.

  23. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian4Liberty View Post
    They will almost always be able to find minor paperwork errors. This was a fishing expedition. There is a distinct possibility that this is one of those vindictive actions meant to inflict maximum pain on mundanes, to take the heat off of them for decades of fiscal waste and insanity. "We can't stop or even track spending, it will hurt the soldiers!"
    That is a good point. It's hard to be the military wing of the NWO and still be accountable to the locals for the money that gets sent all over the planet to further the agenda. Indeed, setting up the next "mea culpa" could be the reason for this story suddenly popping up in the news cycle.

    A wise man once said, "The purpose of government is to pretend to fail."

    Quote Originally Posted by juleswin View Post
    Like other have pointed out. This is such a bad analogy. When you receive extra cash than you asked for, you know instantly that something wrong happened. But when recruiter trying to entice you to put your life on the line offers you money, you don't naturally think something is wrong.
    True, but it has been proven over and over that anything that comes out a recruiter's mouth is likely rife with bull$#@!. I remember reading that recruiters have one of the highest rates of suicide of all servicemembers.
    Last edited by devil21; 10-24-2016 at 11:39 AM.
    "Let it not be said that we did nothing."-Ron Paul

    "We have set them on the hobby-horse of an idea about the absorption of individuality by the symbolic unit of COLLECTIVISM. They have never yet and they never will have the sense to reflect that this hobby-horse is a manifest violation of the most important law of nature, which has established from the very creation of the world one unit unlike another and precisely for the purpose of instituting individuality."- A Quote From Some Old Book

  24. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by juleswin View Post
    Like other have pointed out. This is such a bad analogy. When you receive extra cash than you asked for, you know instantly that something wrong happened. But when recruiter trying to entice you to put your life on the line offers you money, you don't naturally think something is wrong. Even when they offer you more money than was stated in the brochure, most honest people would assume that the recruiter is going off latest updates and just trying to close the deal.

    I doubt these bureaucrats would dare come after some poor guy in the VA and nothing under his name because he cannot work due to the physical disability sustained during the war. But there would be no problem going after the same person for the money if they fraudulently took extra money that don't belong to them from an ATM machine.
    I'm trying to find a single $#@! to give but alas... meh.

    How about they give all of the money they received back? I don't give a $#@! which government whore promised what to whom.
    “The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.” --George Orwell

    Quote Originally Posted by AuH20 View Post
    In terms of a full spectrum candidate, Rand is leaps and bounds above Trump. I'm not disputing that.
    Who else in public life has called for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea?--Donald Trump

  25. #22
    Hopefully a whole bunch of people are about to learn NEVER TRUST THE GOVERNMENT

  26. #23
    What do they do if you fail to pay ? I would imagine they are garnishing wages for any poor souls still on the payroll , but I would also imagine most would be out . One of my old jobs was offering a 40k enlistment bonus for 2 yrs shortly after going back into Iraq the second time , I saw it in an article in USA Today . Those in the article though were not Guard or Reserve jobs . Any chance of the California State Attorney stepping in on this ?
    Do something Danke

  27. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Root View Post
    Hopefully a whole bunch of people are about to learn NEVER TRUST THE GOVERNMENT
    Yep
    Do something Danke



  28. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  29. #25
    + rep OP

    The nature of man amplified. Fallen man is conflicted, and the manipulators manipulate.

    You can have my life, but honor my contract.

    How about we just kill you, and call it good?

    uh, okay? I want to help?

    I understand this die vs helping the right way in the first place, all too well.
    Last edited by bunklocoempire; 10-24-2016 at 01:46 PM.
    Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25
    "I think the propaganda machine is the biggest problem that we face today in trying to get the truth out to people."
    Ron Paul

    Please watch, subscribe, like, & share, Ron Paul Liberty Report
    BITCHUTE IS A LIBERTY MINDED ALTERNATIVE TO GOOGLE SUBSIDIARY YOUTUBE

  30. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Uncle Sucker.

    $#@!ing The Troops Over Since 1776.
    That ^
    Out of every one hundred men they send us, ten should not even be here. Eighty will do nothing but serve as targets for the enemy. Nine are real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, upon them depends our success in battle. But one, ah the one, he is a real warrior, and he will bring the others back from battle alive.

    Duty is the most sublime word in the English language. Do your duty in all things. You can not do more than your duty. You should never wish to do less than your duty.

  31. #27
    http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...026-story.html

    Defense secretary orders Pentagon to stop collecting California National Guard bonus repayments

    Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter on Wednesday ordered the Pentagon to suspend efforts to claw back enlistment bonuses improperly given to thousands of California National Guard members during the height of the Iraq war.

    Carter’s order follows a Los Angeles Times report Saturday that said the Pentagon was demanding repayments from about 9,700 California Guard members who had received enlistment bonuses, student loans or other payments, mostly between 2006 and 2008.

    Soldiers argued that it was unfair to demand repayment of enlistment bonuses and tuition assistance of $15,000 or more when their only mistake was to take financial incentives that recruiters offered. Many served multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some were badly wounded.

    The Pentagon demands for reimbursement sparked widespread public outrage, especially since the California Guard insisted it had warned members of Congress about the problem in 2014. On Tuesday, President Obama ordered the Pentagon to expedite its review of the overpayments.

    In a statement, Carter said he had ordered the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the Pentagon agency responsible for collecting the repayments, to “suspend all efforts to collect reimbursements from affected California National Guard members, effective as soon as it is practical.”

    He said the suspension would continue “until I am satisfied that our process is working effectively.”

    Carter said he ordered a team of senior Defense officials to assess the situation and create “a streamlined, centralized process that ensures the fair and equitable treatment of our service members and the rapid resolution of these cases.”

    The goal is to resolve the cases by July 1, 2017, he said.

    Carter did not indicate if the Pentagon was prepared to waive all the debts, which include millions of dollars in student loans to California Guard members.

    Carter said that while many soldiers did not know the payments were improper, “some soldiers knew or should have known they were ineligible for benefits they were claiming.”

    “Ultimately we will provide for a process that puts as little burden as possible on any soldier who received an improper payment through no fault of his or her own,” Carter said. “At the same time, it will respect our important obligation to the taxpayer.”

    About 2,000 soldiers have been told to repay improper payments. Audits determined they were ineligible for bonuses and they may have to repay some or all of the money unless Congress takes steps to forgive the debts.
    More at link.

  32. #28
    http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...=1#post6341308



    (borrowing this pic from Gunny's post...)
    1776 > 1984

    The FAILURE of the United States Government to operate and maintain an
    Honest Money System , which frees the ordinary man from the clutches of the money manipulators, is the single largest contributing factor to the World's current Economic Crisis.

    The Elimination of Privacy is the Architecture of Genocide

    Belief, Money, and Violence are the three ways all people are controlled

    Quote Originally Posted by Zippyjuan View Post
    Our central bank is not privately owned.

  33. #29
    Did Trump say anything on the subject?



Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 03-23-2011, 07:33 PM
  2. Efficiency Drive: Wounded soldiers to be forced out of the Army
    By doodle in forum World News & Affairs
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-26-2011, 01:53 PM
  3. Ft. Hood soldiers being forced to report their privately owned guns
    By jdmyprez_deo_vindice in forum U.S. Political News
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 10-04-2010, 08:51 PM
  4. Replies: 20
    Last Post: 03-24-2009, 04:49 PM
  5. Wounded soldiers told to return signing bonuses
    By kylejack in forum U.S. Political News
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 11-21-2007, 10:16 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •