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Alexander you need to Google something along the lines of Army puts freeze on Stop Loss payments.

While research overall Stop Loss issues, I ran across several news items and sites talking about how the Army and I believe Marines had placed a temporary freeze on Stop Loss payments in order to sort out confusion about dates.

Sounds exactly like what you are talking about and experiencing.

I don’t recall how many retirees, etc are impacted by this slow down in processing, but I assume it must have been significant enough to shut down the system per se.

That also means that some troops who were Stop Lossed may be asked to return any payment sent them, because they did not qualify in the first place.

Sorry, but I’m only talking from recollection, and I don’t qualify for Stop Loss reimbursements.

I’d preder if you Google and check it out for YOURSELF.

If you have been Stop Lossed, then I assume you are young enough to know how to effectively use Google.

Bobby Hanafin
The Mustang Major

      That said, we ask that all Veterans and Military Families demand that President Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates STOP THE BACK DOOR DRAFT. If the Pentagon sees fits to lower military recruitment goals for FY2009, then Secretary Gates should see fit to keep his promise to stop using STOP LOSS. It is up to us to ensure he and the Commander-In-Chief do just that as they plan for Afghanistan. However, poliitcally forcing the government to acknowledge the wrongs done to our troops by abuse of Stop Loss [to avoid the draft] via monetary compensation for the exploitation of our troops is not only an admission of guilt but also a half decent effort to make amends. Secretary of Defense Gates himself admitted that abuse of Stop Loss was wrong, and promised to cease the practice.

       Frankly, I believe that the best way outside of bringing our troops home to ensure Stop Loss or the Back Door Draft will never again be used is to make compensation to those abused by our government more than 500 bucks a month i order to make the practice of Stop Loss fiscally prohibitive. If the Pentagon or services again resort to Stop Loss in order to avoid asking for conscription, the compensation paid our troops should be at least worth the cost of their lives should they be killed beyond their service commitment. What price can we put on that? For the sake of argument, 500 bucks is not near enough but at least 2000 dollars a month for each month abused would make the use of the shameful practice fiscally irresponsible.

      Regardless, if you know a youngster who left the service or anyone who retired from the military since 2001, be sure to ask if they were on Stop Loss and know about how to get compensation for it. Given the economic downturn and the number of Veterans who may be finding it hard to get employment, or need something to augment their education benefits under the Post 911 GI Bill, this back pay you EARNED will come in handy.

   Compensation is a noble step forward in redressing the shameful use of Stop Loss, but President Obama, and Secretary of Defense Gate the photo ABOVE  just about says it all when it comes to ENDING STOP LOSS once and for all. No amount of pay off will bring back loved ones killed on Stop Loss. If Afghanistan requires abusing our troops, this time make it a FRONT DOOR DRAFT!!!

ROBERT L. HANAFIN
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
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