View Full Version : Wounded Soldier: Military Wants Part Of Bonus Back
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.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
That is :bullshit
Those people put their lives on the line and that military is trying to SCREW them again. :cuss :mad :bitch :censored
Semantics
11-21-2007, 06:41 AM
:no
:roll un-friggin-believable!
kaaryn
11-21-2007, 09:06 AM
what a way to encourage enlistment. :no
Kurtz
11-21-2007, 09:14 AM
Absolutely fuckin' disgusting! :mad
April15
11-21-2007, 10:02 AM
Perfectly acceptable in an administration that finds torture acceptable.
Deadshot
11-21-2007, 10:46 AM
Perfectly acceptable in an administration that finds torture acceptable.
Aprils right here Guys and Dolls, does this REALLY suprise you?
issac the dragon
11-21-2007, 12:57 PM
No it doesn't. Being a fascist requires a mind set that the average person can't approach. It requires a meaness that goes right down to the bones. It is one that would do that, or let a baby die from starvation, or allow young children to suffer from disease. They admit to being mean, are even proud of it. They think it makes them tough. And you have to be tough to win.
I wish there was some way we could extract justice for people like Jordan Fox. It may have to wait the Bushies ouster.
issac the dragon
11-21-2007, 02:18 PM
Yesterday, the blogosphere erupted in anger over the report that Pfc. Jordan Fox was being asked by the Pentagon to return some of his enlistment signing bonus because he was injured by a roadside bomb while in Iraq and did not have the opportunity to complete his full tour.
Appearing on Fox News this morning, Pentagon spokesman Michael Tucker announced that the Pentagon was reversing course and would not force Jordan to repay the bonus. “It doesn’t pass the common-sense test,” he said.
Jordan appeared on the same show an hour later to respond to the Pentagon’s decision. “That’s impressive,” he said, “but my next question is how many other mistakes have been made?” Last night, appearing on a series of cable news shows, Jordan said he’s heard of many other soldiers who have faced similar circumstances. He told MSNBC’s Dan Abrams:
I do have to say — this isn’t the end. This is just the beginning because it’s still a continuing problem amongst other men that maybe are too afraid to speak up. Well they need to speak up and we need to end this now. thinkprogress.org
There is more about this on thinkprogress.org if you want to read it. I hope they will do something to fix the system. It has always workde this way. They didn't invent it just for these veterns.
I love how this turned into a Bush Bash thread.
Kurtz
11-21-2007, 03:48 PM
bush is a public figure, we can bash him, 'sides it makes us feel better.
Folks should write their Congress 'n I'm sure many will.
I love how this turned into a Bush Bash thread.
Did you really expect any different?
This is incomprehensible that the Pentagon would do this. But do you people really think Bush called up SecDef and said "Hey let's get this guy's bonus back!"? I'm sure some of you do, but this is ridiculous. I think the Pentagon outta give this a guy another bonus, but to blame this on the President is ignorant.
Kurtz
11-21-2007, 04:16 PM
We can blame bush for HIS war in Iraq. :whistle
Would that also be the same war the Hillary and other Dems voted for as well?
Kurtz
11-21-2007, 04:42 PM
Would that also be the same war the Hillary and other Dems voted for as well?
:yep
That one that bush lied about to get them to vote for it.
April15
11-21-2007, 04:55 PM
Did you really expect any different?
This is incomprehensible that the Pentagon would do this. But do you people really think Bush called up SecDef and said "Hey let's get this guy's bonus back!"? I'm sure some of you do, but this is ridiculous. I think the Pentagon outta give this a guy another bonus, but to blame this on the President is ignorant.I do believe Bush is the CIC for the military. That being said he should be in the know of what goes on with his subordinates. And as usual he is either in the dark or denial. Perhaps he is having the report redacted to show how great life is.
April15
11-21-2007, 04:58 PM
:yep
That one that bush lied about to get them to vote for it.He did more than lie, he exposed the CIA to harm and compromised the integrity of America. He made Collin Powell look like a fool, he has changed reports to show what he believes not what the studies show.
Yep he is one great big pile of shinola! If he was shit he wouldn't be able to find himself!
Oceanbreeze
11-21-2007, 07:33 PM
He did more than lie, he exposed the CIA to harm and compromised the integrity of America. He made Collin Powell look like a fool, he has changed reports to show what he believes not what the studies show.
Yep he is one great big pile of shinola! If he was shit he wouldn't be able to find himself!
That's quite the visual. :lmao
Semantics
11-21-2007, 07:41 PM
He did more than lie, he exposed the CIA to harm and compromised the integrity of America. He made Collin Powell look like a fool, he has changed reports to show what he believes not what the studies show.
Yep he is one great big pile of shinola! If he was shit he wouldn't be able to find himself!
That's quite the visual. :lmao
:rofl :rofl :rofl
:yep
That one that bush lied about to get them to vote for it.
So you want someone tha twas easily fooled by Bush to be president.
He did more than lie, he exposed the CIA to harm and compromised the integrity of America. He made Collin Powell look like a fool, he has changed reports to show what he believes not what the studies show.
Yep he is one great big pile of shinola! If he was shit he wouldn't be able to find himself!
First you make him out to be this great genius than say he is an idiot, please pick one or the other.
Trueblue
11-21-2007, 08:48 PM
I do believe Bush is the CIC for the military. That being said he should be in the know of what goes on with his subordinates. And as usual he is either in the dark or denial. Perhaps he is having the report redacted to show how great life is.
Just once, I would like to hear Bush take honest responsibility for his screw ups.
So you want someone tha twas easily fooled by Bush to be president.
First you make him out to be this great genius than say he is an idiot, please pick one or the other.
I don't think it was easy to fool them, the administration worked hard to fool them.
He's an idiot, but he has an evil genius to help him.
Kurtz
11-21-2007, 08:51 PM
Lots of folks were fooled by him at that time,
it's a good thang when people get smart. :wink
I love how this turned into a Bush Bash thread.
Easy enough to explain . . . If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with Bush bashing. :yep
Trueblue
11-21-2007, 10:26 PM
I'm sure this happened during the Clinton administration, some folks would be wetting their pants they'd be so ticked. :rofl
Kurtz
11-22-2007, 06:35 AM
Hillary Clinton has a long history of fighting for our veterans and will work to ensure our country fulfills its obligations to those who have served and sacrificed for the nation.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary has championed legislation to improve the lives of our veterans and their families. She worked to provide access to TRICARE for National Guard and Reserve members. She authored the Heroes at Home Act that will begin to help service members struggling with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. She worked with others in the Senate to pass legislation to increase the military survivor benefit from $12,000 to $100,000.
As president, she will honor three fundamental commitments: First, every member of our armed forces will receive a fair shot at the American dream when their service is over. Second, every veteran in America will have health care. Third, every veteran will receive the benefits they have earned and the assistance they need - right from the start.
Provide Affordable and Quality Health Care for All Veterans. As President, Hillary will ensure that all of the 1.8 million uninsured veterans in this country have access to quality, affordable health care. She will restore the Clinton-era policy that opened the VA’s excellent and cost-effective health care system to all veterans who seek to enroll. She will make a long-term commitment to the VA system to ensure it is adequately funded and has the capacity to avoid backlogs and to handle greater enrollments. And she will provide coverage through the American Health Choices Plan to all veterans who choose not to use the VA system.
Ensure All Veterans Receive the Benefits They Have Earned and the Assistance They Need -- Right from the Start. As President, Hillary will commit to getting a fair, accurate, and timely decision for every veteran filing a disability claim. She will increase the number of qualified VA evaluators to reduce the backlog of claims. She will provide fast-track training for new claims specialists and expand the Benefits at Discharge Program to smooth the transition from service to discharge for all those who serve our country.
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/veterans/
Kurtz
11-22-2007, 06:36 AM
Military Veterans Speak (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW08j6_glkU)
I'm sure this happened during the Clinton administration, some folks would be wetting their pants they'd be so ticked. :rofl
No one said that either. But y'all seem to think that everything is Bush's fault.
Kurtz
11-22-2007, 07:58 AM
I'm gonna break my own rule of document, document, document, but I'm sure the casualties of this 'war' in Iraq didn't help and most likely caused detriment to the VA programs. AND bush started this 'war' in Iraq. Connect the dots.
Trueblue
11-22-2007, 08:01 AM
I'm gonna break my own rule of document, document, document, but I'm sure the casualties of this 'war' in Iraq didn't help and most likely caused detriment to the VA programs. AND bush started this 'war' in Iraq. Connect the dots.
Exactly. There wasn't this kind of strain on the VA before the war in Iraq, and anybody knows that more combat means increased demand on the system. THEY SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING, IT IS A PART OF THE COST OF WAR.
Exactly. There wasn't this kind of strain on the VA before the war in Iraq, and anybody knows that more combat means increased demand on the system. THEY SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING, IT IS A PART OF THE COST OF WAR.
The VA sucked before this war, it just sucks worse now.
I agree with my boss (who's running for governor) that the VA should be done away with and vets should get the same medical assistance that welfare gets . . . where darn near everything is covered without all the paperwork and excuses.
toxic
11-22-2007, 10:02 AM
So you want someone that was easily fooled by Bush to be president.
First you make him out to be this great genius than say he is an idiot, please pick one or the other.
Actually, I think the vote to "Authorize Use of Force" was expected by most of Congress to be a bargaining tool. I think few expected Bush to really go to war against the wrong country.
Many of us from Texas who were aware Bush was a moron as Govenor and at Harkin Oil, tried to warn the uninitiated but failed to get their attention.
As a prior Republican example, I recall retire General and Reagan Chief of Staff Alexander Haig rattling the sabre during some event. A peer of mine was unsure of he was bluffing. I had no doubt that Haig understood the consequences of war and reassured my friend that it was a bluff.
Bush's lack of wartime experience has been a terrible handicap for him and will be a handicap for the apparent frontrunners for the 2008 election.
Oceanbreeze
11-22-2007, 11:33 AM
The VA sucked before this war, it just sucks worse now.
I agree with my boss (who's running for governor) that the VA should be done away with and vets should get the same medical assistance that welfare gets . . . where darn near everything is covered without all the paperwork and excuses.
:paclap :paclap :paclap
Kurtz
11-22-2007, 12:03 PM
There's some myths out there about that too. :wink
Actually, I think the vote to "Authorize Use of Force" was expected by most of Congress to be a bargaining tool. I think few expected Bush to really go to war against the wrong country.
Many of us from Texas who were aware Bush was a moron as Govenor and at Harkin Oil, tried to warn the uninitiated but failed to get their attention.
As a prior Republican example, I recall retire General and Reagan Chief of Staff Alexander Haig rattling the sabre during some event. A peer of mine was unsure of he was bluffing. I had no doubt that Haig understood the consequences of war and reassured my friend that it was a bluff.
Bush's lack of wartime experience has been a terrible handicap for him and will be a handicap for the apparent frontrunners for the 2008 election.
So again we are back to Bush being able to fool not only the most "intelligent" woman on the planet but the rest of Congress as well. Pretty good for a moron.
issac the dragon
11-23-2007, 09:05 AM
Bush has thousands of people working for him who's express purpose in life is to decieve the American people. Every single branch of the government is doing what they can to help obfuscate every single thing that is going on. The government under Bush is the biggest lie machine in the history of the world.
Saguaro
11-23-2007, 12:36 PM
MOUNT LEBANON, Pa. - A soldier whose injuries in Iraq forced him to leave the military early "inadvertently" received a letter from the Army asking him to repay a portion of his sign-up bonus, the military said.
Former Pfc. Jordan Fox "inadvertently" got a letter asking him to repay $2,800 of his $7,500 enlistment bonus, and officials were checking to see if other injured soldiers were sent similar notices, the Army said in a statement Wednesday.
Soldiers who are injured or become ill while on active duty can keep all sign-up bonuses due them, the Army said. But the Army hasn't decided whether to pay Fox his unused leave, Army spokesman Major Nathan Banks said.
The statement came after Fox appeared on local and national TV and radio shows to talk about the letter.
Fox, 21, from the Pittsburgh suburb of Mount Lebanon was partially blinded in his right eye and sustained a back injury in a roadside bomb explosion in Baquba in May. He returned to the United States two months later and received a discharge.
In late October, Fox got a letter from the Army seeking repayment of part of his enlistment bonus because he had only completed about a year of his three-year service.
Another letter arrived a week later warning he could be charged interest if he didn't make a payment within 30 days.
"I was just completely shocked," Fox said. "I couldn't believe I'd gotten a bill in the mail from the Army."
Army officials said they don't know how many other soldiers may have faced similar situations.
Fox said his sight has improved, but he still has back pain. He helps his family run Operation Pittsburgh Pride, a volunteer group that has sent 4,000 care packages to troops in Iraq.
"I'm fortunate," Fox said. "I have both arms and both legs. A lot of people aren't that lucky."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071123/ap_on_re_us/wounded_soldier_bonus;_ylt=AmJNqyhCA_A5ZCnBAjYpYvx vzwcF
Kurtz
11-23-2007, 01:08 PM
Former Pfc. Jordan Fox "inadvertently" got a letter asking him to repay $2,800 of his $7,500 enlistment bonus, and officials were checking to see if other injured soldiers were sent similar notices, the Army said in a statement Wednesday.
Soldiers who are injured or become ill while on active duty can keep all sign-up bonuses due them, the Army said. But the Army hasn't decided whether to pay Fox his unused leave, Army spokesman Major Nathan Banks said.
Ya mean they don't know?
Who the hell is in charge? :confused
They ought to pay him for his
unused leave if he earned it.
Who the hell is in charge? :mad
Trueblue
11-23-2007, 01:13 PM
So again we are back to Bush being able to fool not only the most "intelligent" woman on the planet but the rest of Congress as well. Pretty good for a moron.
Anybody can be lied to, Rev. At least for a while. Why is that so hard for you to accept? And Issac is right, Bush did have some help.
Oceanbreeze
11-23-2007, 03:39 PM
Bush has thousands of people working for him who's express purpose in life is to decieve the American people. Every single branch of the government is doing what they can to help obfuscate every single thing that is going on. The government under Bush is the biggest lie machine in the history of the world.
Issac-you give the man alot of undue credit.
issac the dragon
11-23-2007, 03:55 PM
Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans are a definite group of people who espouse the same mind set, the same belief system. Big tent my :butt And all of the people are out to accomplish the same thing.
They intend to make America a Christian nation, of people who walk in lockstep, working for peons wages and grateful for the jobs because that is the only alternative to the evils of Islamofascism or Communism. Any one who doesn't agree with them is the enemy, and sure is not going to get to be mayor or the head of the Army. Seig Heil!
And y'all accuse Ringo and Wabash of being conspiracy theorist?
Help Help the President is out to get me and destroy us all
:panic
What baloney.
Sassafras
11-24-2007, 07:49 AM
To go back to the OP for a bit.... :para
Can you blame the pentagon?? Come on - look at the state of the army! They are stretched thin, to the bone, with not enough new people to replace them. I'm assuming their budget must be shot to hell right now, so they're trying to save $$$ where they can. Some dipshit in there probably thought - oh looky!! here's a real quick and easy way to get some cash back! :max
I'm sure Bush wouldn't have had to authorize or know of it. For surely if he did, his PR man (he has one of those, right? :para) would have told him that was a dealbreaker. :lol
I'm not surprised though - this is the same government that is denying these men and women proper *mental* help when they come back, and calling them crazy and dismissing them. :roll Of course they'd at least TRY something like this, to just take the chance that nobody speaks out about it. :roll
Now, if you want to know whether Bush is responsible and to blame for this.... I guess ultimately he is the head of state, but come on, he's got bigger fish to fry, that we can definately hold him in charge of. :para
Trueblue
11-24-2007, 09:00 AM
And y'all accuse Ringo and Wabash of being conspiracy theorist?
Help Help the President is out to get me and destroy us all
:panic
What baloney.
He doesn't want to destroy us, he just wants us to live under a different sort of nation than we live under.
Yellowdogtexan
11-27-2007, 02:02 PM
Would that also be the same war the Hillary and other Dems voted for as well?Three points here. First, this silly argument assumes that the Democrats in Congress had access to the same information that bush did. That assumption has been proven false by the relevations of the use of fixed intelligence and facts to sell this war in Iraq. If bush has provided the real intelligence instead of the fixed facts and intelligence, then the vote would be different.
Second, the vote was presented as an authorization for the US and the UN to negotiate with Saddam. Given that bush has been shown to lie about the reasons for the war, why is it difficult to believe that the Senate and the House were told something that turned out to be completely false. Again, Senator Clinton and others voted for bush to use the threat of force to get inspectors in.
Third, why did bush ignore the reports of the UN inspectors? Again, bush sold this war based on fixed facts and intelligence and so bush could not allow the UN inspectors to do their jobs and expose these lies. At the time of the war, it was clear from the UN inspectors, that the bush claims were all lies.
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