Lawmakers are demanding answers from Department of Defense officials after reports that California National Guard leaders are forcing veterans to repay generous recruitment bonuses a decade after they enlisted because of clerical errors.
But it’s not clear whether Congress will take any action to address the issue when members return from their election recess next month.
On Saturday, a Los Angeles Times investigation uncovered nearly 10,000 soldiers involved in the enlistment bonus scandal, some of whom are facing significant financial hardships because of the California Guard’s actions.
Many of veterans were enticed to enlist by bonuses topping $10,000, and later served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. But recent audits by defense officials showed widespread overpayments in the program, originally designed to recruit only a select number of high-demand specialties.
The military’s response has been to demand that veterans who should not have qualified for the payouts to return the money now, with interest.
Read More- Military Times
Image courtesy of California National Guard
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