I just read in today’s LA Times (article by David Cloud) that the US Army National Guard is clawing back reenlistment bonuses that were paid out years ago as part a fraud. I believe this is a total miscarriage of justice and could impact future recruitment and may increase future military labor cost. Congress has the power to correct the problem and should do so quickly. I have written Darrell Issa and Dianne Feinstein asking them to take action.
As a retired USAF Colonel, I understand the importance of recruiting bonuses, and the tough decisions made by enlistees. My 18 yr old granddaughter just signed up with the National Guard in response to generous bonuses offered. How does she know if 10 years from now, the Government could try to claw back that money from her? By clawing back those paid bonuses, the trust in Government bonuses could be reduced, and the salaries (and bonuses) required in the future to retain a quality force will increase as a result.
When a soldier makes the often gut-wrenching decision to reenlist, a bonus is a key part of that decision. Is the bonus being offered large enough to provide compensation for the expected years of hardship, family separation, and a chance of being killed or wounded in action? The soldiers who accepted the bonuses in question did so good faith when signing on. In most “refund” situations, some product is returned in exchange for cash. In this case, the soldiers are being forced to repay money received, but will NEVER get back the years of service they provided to the country.
I believe it is necessary to prosecute, penalize, and obtain restitution from officers and recruiters who knowingly earned bonuses fraudulently. It is totally unfair to force the victims to repay their bonuses. Congress should clearly state that the intent, in this situation, is to penalize those who knowingly committed fraud and not the victim enlistees!
