Stop loss military service members will get retroactive pay
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Washington (WSYR-TV) - Service Members who have had their enlistment extended or retirements postponed because of the Stop Loss Program are going to be receiving special compensation from the DoD.
The Department of Defense says service members who were on active duty between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2009 are eligible to submit claims for the retroactive pay as of Wednesday. Those who qualify will get a payment of $500 for each month, or partial month, they were retained on active duty because of the Stop Loss Program.
The DoD says that those who are eligible will have to submit a claim and provide proof they were “stop lossed.” Those who are no longer in the military will also have to show that they were honorably discharged. Families of the deceased are asked to contact the appropriate military service for assistance with their claims. The deadline to file claims is October 21, 2010.
The money for most of the payments come from the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act. For any service members who were “stop lossed” in 2009, however, they may also be eligible for payment from the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act. Those service members cannot apply for pay from both acts.
The DoD calls the Stop Loss Program was a valuable tool to “quickly retain and generate forces to surge in a major conflict,” but they announced in March a plan to discontinue the current use of the program while maintaining the authority to use it in the future.
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