Service members to repay enlistment bonuses

[Hilander]

The Defense Department ordered as many as 10,500 former National Guardsmen from California to pay back enlistment bonuses totaling as much as $20 million, or $15,000, according to The Los Angeles Times. The bonuses were paid to entice more people to enlist during the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a 2013 Inspector General's report deemed some excessive.

Lawmakers Blast Pentagon Over 'Boneheaded' Clawback Of Improper Military Bonuses

I don't think they should have to repay these bonuses. I think its BS for them to even try to make them pay it back. They did nothing wrong, all they did was sign up again to serve their country. Many of these people probably can't afford to pay it back.

Thoughts?

 

[Dr4gon]

That will have serious blowback. They used those bonuses to entice people to enlist but now there's an epic reason for people to not enlist.
So now everybody knows it's just a money grab for the Pentagon when the fighting ends.
The Pentagon attacking the soldiers won't build a strong army. It only builds distrust.

 

[Impaired]

Military pay is already piss poor - the number of soldiers on food stamps tells the tale.

This is just stupid.

 

[Hilander]

That will have serious blowback. They used those bonuses to entice people to enlist but now there's an epic reason for people to not enlist.
So now everybody knows it's just a money grab for the Pentagon when the fighting ends.
The Pentagon attacking the soldiers won't build a strong army. It only builds distrust.

This could back fire on them, people they offer bonuses to in the future will be leery of the whole thing and may decide not to join. They should just stick to going after the person or people that allowed this to happen not the soldiers.

 

[Hilander]

It was the military's mess up so let them eat the cost. You shouldn't be able to come back a decade later and ask for a refund. Gee a decade, should of asked for it back before they went off to war fulfilling their part of the agreement. Shows you how on top of things the pentagon is. No wonder they have trouble accounting for what has happened to money in the past.