October deadline for something (aka "what is my dad babbling about?")

[Recursion]

So I get this frenzied email from my dad saying I need to "apply for some money" right away because he heard on the news there's an October deadline for money for people who were stoplossed past their ETS since 9/12/2001 (I was, for about a year or so).

I know there's a new GI Bill (which I intend to use), and I don't know if this is what he's talking about, or if it was some other program he heard about on the news that I don't know about. The "October deadline" makes me wonder, because there's nothing that I know in the GI Bill about that. Does anybody have any idea what he's talking about?

[Bitwit1234]

1. It is true...Congress passed it last year

and veterans whose term overseas was extended have a year to put in for the extra money. The Veterans Administration or the Pentagon are under fire for not notifying the vets. They should each make about 3 - 4 thousand dollars.

[unhappycamper]

2. Could this be what he was talking about?

100K eligible troops could miss stop-loss pay
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 4, 2010 16:01:24 EDT

A key lawmaker behind the creation of a monthly $500 stop-loss allowance says the Defense Department may not be doing enough to try to locate separated service members who are now on the brink of losing the right to apply for the money.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., chief Senate sponsor of legislation that created retroactive stop-loss allowances, said only about 25,000 of the more than 145,000 eligible service members and veterans have applied for and received payments.

There is an Oct. 21 deadline to apply for payments, and Lautenberg expects an all-out push from the military using “every available outlet” to warn people they could be losing the money.

With payments set at $500 a month for every month in which a person spent one day under stop-loss orders since September 2001, and with 6½ months the average time spent beyond their separation date when orders were given, more than 100,000 people would receive average payments of $3,500 — if they can be found.

Army officials launched a campaign two weeks ago to remind eligible troops and veterans of the looming deadline, but Lautenberg said he wants the military to do more.

[Recursion]

3. Holy crap!

What's worse is, the article doesn't give any information on how to apply for it.

[Donnachaidh]

10. call your rep -- let them find the info for you

Let them work for their pay for once.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. they'd better put out announcements on TV before ball games

[Recursion]

9. I asked the guy running the Marine Corps' manpower program

He said my story is pretty much like everybody else's: I got out as a mid-20-something, moved around a lot, and didn't bother to update my contact info with the DoD after my separation.

This is appalling that so many people are going to miss out on this.

[sharp_stick]

4. This may help

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iVKQIXnjZ0BqpUbSiYIrzH_B4A4AD9HCQTFO1

plus on edit:

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0710_stoploss/

[Recursion]

5. Thank you!!!

This could mean several thousand dollars for me!

[sharp_stick]

6. Excellent

Good luck.

[Recursion]

8. Form DD 2944, for anybody else

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd2944.pdf