Military Stop-Loss Payments

I hope when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and their patriotic lapel pin-wearing fellow legislators return from their much-deserved summer recess, they will immediately take up the $487 billion defense funding bill approved July 31 by a key house subcommittee. The bill includes a long-sought "stop-loss" stipend for more than 160,000 service members whose military service was involuntarily extended because of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars via the military "stop-loss" policy.

Serving in Iraq is difficult enough for a service member, but serving over and over again is unimaginable for most who have never worn the uniform. Yet many in the armed forces are being asked to do just that, given the shortages of man power in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The resulting toll on relationships and finances has been the subject of much debate inside and outside of Washington about how to compensate those affected by the policy. Enter the "stop-loss" stipend measure.

If the "stop-loss" allowance becomes law, the $500 monthly payment would retroactively cover anyone whose service was extended by as little as one day since the start of the war in Afghanistan. Some legislators had sought a $1500.00 monthly payment for service members affected by future stop-loss. However, as a compromise that included the retroactive component, the $500.00 monthly payment was agreed to.

Military aides say stop-loss orders have lasted seven months on average, which would equal average payments of $3,500 per person.

Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, one of the chief backers of the stop-loss allowance, said she thinks it is an important morale booster. She said the payments will "help ease the financial burden" that wartime deployments have placed on troops and families.

I was affected by the military's stop-loss policy. My enlistment was due to end on April 30, 2004. I was extended for 12 months after my unit received orders to Iraq. Some argue,"...well you were paid." I was compensated with my regular military pay. This is However, I had secured a civilian job and been accepted to college. College was postponed and the job opportunity did not survive the year delay. This is the case for many of my fellow active army as well as Reserve and National Guard soldiers.

A U.S. Army program, Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) has spent $2.8 billion in five years to Iraqis to help with expenses, large and small. Among the expenses; $500,000.00 for action figures for Iraqi children designed to look like Iraqi security forces. If the president can request and the congress approve such expenses, certainly they can approve compensation for those service members and their families that have been affected beyond their voluntary service. Lapel pins are a nice symbolic show of support. Money isn't a bad gesture either.