Retroactive stop-loss payments temporarily halted

[unhappycamper]

Retroactive stop-loss payments temporarily halted
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, December 24, 2009

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Army and Air Force have temporarily stopped payments to soldiers and airmen who were held under stop-loss between September 2001 and September 2008 because a provision in the recently passed Defense Appropriations Bill makes fewer servicemembers eligible.

The bill makes clear that troops who re-enlisted or extended their contract and collected a bonus while being held under stop-loss do not qualify for the compensation.

The temporary halt will last until the Army gets a list of soldiers who received a re-enlistment or retention bonus while being stop-lossed, said Army spokeswoman Jill Mueller.

“The services didn’t decide this,” Mueller said on Wednesday. “This was decided by the legislature and we are executing their will.”

Mueller declined to estimate how long this might take, noting the holidays are approaching.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66851