USA — ‘Stop Loss’ Special Pay Application Deadline Approaches

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2010 — Defense Depart­ment offi­cials are work­ing to remind vet­er­ans and cur­rent ser­vice­mem­bers who were invol­un­tar­i­ly retained in the mil­i­tary under the so-called “Stop Loss” pro­gram to apply for spe­cial pay before the Dec. 3 dead­line.

Mil­i­tary mem­bers whose ser­vice was invol­un­tar­i­ly extend­ed or whose retire­ment was sus­pend­ed between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009, are enti­tled to a retroac­tive pay­ment of $500 for each month of extension. 

By law, ser­vice­mem­bers who received a bonus for vol­un­tar­i­ly re-enlist­ing or extend­ing their ser­vice are not eli­gi­ble for the spe­cial pay, offi­cials said, but they added that they strong­ly urge peo­ple who even think they may be eli­gi­ble to sub­mit an appli­ca­tion before the deadline. 

Infor­ma­tion on the spe­cial pay and links to the appli­ca­tion are avail­able at http://www.defense.gov/stoploss.

About 65,000 of 145,000 eli­gi­ble claims have been paid, and $243 mil­lion has been dis­bursed of the $534 mil­lion appro­pri­at­ed, offi­cials said. 

Pres­i­dent Barack Oba­ma released a video mes­sage Sept. 15 urg­ing eli­gi­ble ser­vice­mem­bers and vet­er­ans to apply. 

“You served with hon­or. You did your duty. And when your coun­try called on you again, you did your duty again,” he said in the mes­sage. “Now, it’s time to col­lect the spe­cial pay that you deserve.” 

The ser­vices are pro­mot­ing the retroac­tive pay through nation­al and region­al media, direct mail, vet­er­an and ser­vice orga­ni­za­tions, web­sites and phone lines. Infor­ma­tion about the spe­cial pay also has been includ­ed on civil­ian and retiree pay stubs. 

Source:
U.S. Depart­ment of Defense
Office of the Assis­tant Sec­re­tary of Defense (Pub­lic Affairs) 

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