Deadlock over bonuses for combat-hurt vets

Deadlock over bonuses for combat-hurt vets
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Dec 18, 2007 11:02:48 EST

The House and Senate may be deadlocked over well-meaning legislation guaranteeing combat-injured service members will receive full enlistment and retention bonuses even if they are unable to finish their military commitment.

Lawmakers agree on bipartisan legislation allowing enlistment, re-enlistment and accession bonuses, and specialty bonuses and special pays, based upon completing a specific amount of service to be fully paid when someone is forced to retire or separate from service because of an injury or illness.

Details, though, have proved vexing.

On Friday, the Senate passed its bill, the Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act, which promises retroactive payments to anyone who did not get his full bonus since Sept. 12, 2001, because a combat-related disability cut short his service. The Senate bill, S 2400, promises full payment of any unpaid portions of bonuses and special pays within 90 days of leaving active duty.

The House of Representatives was prepared Tuesday to pass a slightly different bill, one that does not allow any retroactive payments. The House bill allows full bonus payments in the future to anyone with a disability unable to continue military service as long as his injury was not his own fault. Payments are mandatory for combat-related disabilities and are allowed at the discretion of each service in other cases when a service commitment tied to a bonus is not met. Additionally, the bill, HR 3793, says that in cases where a service member is killed in action, the government is required to pay the full amount of unpaid bonuses or special pays to survivors or the deceased service member’s estate.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/12/military_combatinjured_bonuses_071218w/