Probe finds Army charity is hoarding millions

[IDemo]

Source: Associated Press

updated 47 minutes ago

FORT BLISS, Texas - As soldiers stream home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the biggest charity inside the U.S. military has been stockpiling tens of millions of dollars meant to help put returning fighters back on their feet, an Associated Press investigation shows.

Between 2003 and 2007 — as many military families dealt with long war deployments and increased numbers of home foreclosures — Army Emergency Relief grew into a $345 million behemoth. During those years, the charity packed away $117 million into its own reserves while spending just $64 million on direct aid, according to an AP analysis of its tax records.

Tax-exempt and legally separate from the military, AER projects a facade of independence but really operates under close Army control. The massive nonprofit — funded predominantly by troops — allows superiors to squeeze soldiers for contributions; forces struggling soldiers to repay loans — sometimes delaying transfers and promotions; and too often violates its own rules by rewarding donors, such as giving free passes from physical training, the AP found.

Founded in 1942, AER eases cash emergencies of active-duty soldiers and retirees and provides college scholarships for their families. Its emergency aid covers mortgage payments and food, car repairs, medical bills, travel to family funerals, and the like.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29331853/

[EFerrari]

1. Slush fund?

[Supersedeas]

27. if it looks, waddles, and quacks like it...

[Sultana]

2. There are no words

:(

[pleah]

3. Our troops have been used, abused and literally kicked to the curb.

:grr:

[Frustratedlady]

4. They lost more in the market than they handed out.

If it's the soldiers' money, why are they being so tight with handing it out when they are in dire straits?

So many horror stories...

[southernyankeebelle]

5. That pisses me off

Well I won't give to them anymore. I sick to hear this. As a wife of a retired soldier I feel aweful to hear this story.

[Proletariatprincess]

6. Why anyone would want to join the US military or want their son or daughter to do so

is beyond all understanding. This is just the latest example of how badly we treat "our troupes" in this country. It makes my stomach turn to hear the right use "support out troops" rhetoric when we see this kind of thing all the time.
The USA sends these young men and women to defend the corporate agenda in foreign countries and then doesn't compensate or take care of them fairly or properly. It isn't much different than Wal-Mart or any other bad employer.
They use up their lives and then cast them off like an old newspaper. Unethical and corrupt, these "bosses" are the result of the failure of the Labor Movement in this country or any movement that effectively represents the working class. Workers and solders are expendable commodities.

[pasto76]

7. Because if not me, then who?

Who will protect your family, who will protect your 'way of life"? But back in thed ay, even as late as the early 90's when I enlisted, there were at least conventional, if not partially imaginary enemies...The answe risnt so easy anymore from a non-veteran side.

When we deployed, there wasnt a single soldier in my battalion that knew what to expect. Few had been through Desert Storm, of those few, one had actually fired shots and killed enemy. That was the scariest part of the whole deal, not knowing, and knowing that I couldnt find out until I was in it!

As a veteran, Im in a postion of experience. I can prevent a soldier, or a squad, or a platoon of newer soldiers from having to undergo the information limbo, and focus on training. Then maybe this time we all come back unscathed.



This AER is so disappointing. Thats A LOT OF AID that could have been used by soldiers. Its not a crime, but it should be.

SGT PASTO

[jmowreader]

9. Sergeant, are you having trouble with AER on your base?

I know from 1982 to 1994, they were very good at ASKING for money, along with CFC, but when it came to getting any when you needed it...oh well...

[JerseygirlCT]

17. You know, I wonder about that crime part

There's all sorts of questions this brings up for me on that count. What has been promised to donors? How are they legally set up? They may be required to give away a certain percentage. How open have they been with how funds are used?

The IRS may indeed want to look a bit more closely at this group.

[x-g.o.p.er]

21. Because what we have in this country is worth defending

warts and all. I love this country, and I loved defending it for 22 years.

Someone has to do it, because a lot of people like to rail against what's wrong with this country, yet won't feel compelled to defend or fix her when it's needed.

[atreides1]

22. You're right

What we have is worth defending, but shouldn't all Americans be willing to defend it, and not just hand it off to a few men and women?

By the way what exactly are the troops defending us from now?

Are they defending our way of life or the Iraqis? Are they defending the US Constitution?

I'm a vet and for the life of me I can't figure out what exactly it is that the military is defending us from now? And please don't hand me the cliche answer "terrorism", we seem to have more of that with our elected officials then with the Taliban!

When I enlisted the Russians and the Chinese were the enemy, now they're our business partners.

All Americans need to be willing to defend this country, not just those who put on a uniform, and if all Americans are not willing to defend it then maybe we'd be better off with society described in Starship Troopers, the book not the movie!!!!

[saigon68]

29. Defending the Concept ot the Cheney Class to Rape and Pillage

The ruling corporate elite-- out to make millions in personal wealth and to take junkets at $2,000.00 a day Spas while sodomizing the public in general.

Yes Heinlein had it right.

[bertman]

8. Is there NO, ABSOLUTELY NO HONOR in our military institutions anymore?! This is

so disgusting it defies description.

It's the military doing it to its own. Talk about fucked up.

This goes off the scale on the outrage meter.

[acmavm]

10. Honor in the military? Uh, no. Not since the criminal enterprise known as

the BFEE took over. They ran out all those who were serving because of love and duty for our country. The lackeys are left.

[GentryDixon]

12. This is so sad.

You are correct in that many of our new Military were scooped off the street and made to sign an oath of honor in the name of "fighting them over there". No matter they had criminal records, or belonged to hate groups. They are so infiltrated with hate groups now, it is probably only a matter of time before rebellion.

The ones who serve honorably and return to no help at all, or indifference, are probably wondering what happened to their Army. I served on the civilian side for 30 years, and did so proudly, but it is not the same Army I worked for. Not by a long shot.



:cry:

[emilyg]

11. Disgusting.

[sakabatou]

13. Time to sue them.

[rollingrock]

14. This charity is a scam

It should be shut down immediately and have all of its funds seized.

[barbtries]

15. greed

will destroy humanity.

[Joanne98]

16. The financial crisis is bringing all the snakes into the light...

Stay tuned.. there's tons more.

[GreenTea]

18. We would never of heard about this during Bush's admin....like so may things they

allowed to occur and go unchallenged....the rich & the heads of organizations & corporations controlling the money were allowed to steal all they could get away with - we'll be finding more and more of this kind of shit now that Bush & the republicans rule is over!

[LynneSin]

19. I hope the fuckers that run this fund rot in hell

That $117 million could have helped so many

[47of74]

20. This pisses me off

They treat our soldiers like SHIT. I am pissed!

[Blue_Tires]

23. damn....this is like that 9-11 charity for first responders

the one that was sitting on like $30 million but only helped like SIX first responders' health bills?

[HillWilliam]

24. The Army has always put the squeeze on troops

for "charitable donation". It's a freakin' racket. Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) was the big deal when I was in. I was the lone soldier in my unit who refused to give. The Top Kick called me into his office and proceeded to read me the riot act about his unit being the only one not achieving 100% and how it reflected on him and blah blah blah.

I was headed for an Article 15.

I told him the truth. A good friend of my family had a truck that left him stuck on a train track. A train hit it and he lost both his legs. They applied to United Way, the main CFC beneficiary and were turned down. I would never contribute to someone who would turn down folks so desperately in need and that my family had also put pressure on me to stand up for our friends. I told him if he felt he needed to punish me for standing up for a family who needed standing up for, go ahead.

He paused a long time and said he'd put $10 in for me. I said if that's what he needed to do to get heat off of him I'd stand by it and keep my mouth shut. We parted company that morning with an understanding of each other's worlds.

Mine was an exceptional case. More often the case is punishment for not "contributing". Troops are squeezed for bigger contributions if they contribute at all and they're punished if they don't contribute at all. These "charities" are the friggin' mob and they operate exactly like it.

[Lasher]

25. Wait just a minute...

Charity Navigator gives Army Emergency Relief their highest rating. The American Institute of Philanthropy wants you to pay for their Charity Rating Guide.

It does appear that AER has stockpiled quite a bit of money, however.

[sarcasmo]

26. Just a shitty way to run a charity.

[No Elephants]

28. Yet another way Republicans "support" the troops.

[eringer]

30. AER supported with DoD funds

Office space and the majority of AER staff are U.S Army (check out their website at http://www.aerhq.org/). Given the use of Federal funds, someone on the Hill needs to ask the GAO to take a look (how about it Senator Webb?). At a minimum, this group needs to have a policy that they disburse a healthy portion of what they take in. If they are not willing to do so, the Army should create a new organization to take its place and request that the AER move its operations outside the front gate and hire its own people.