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Injured vets claim they have to pay back bonuses

Injured vets claim they have to pay back bonuses - Monday, November 26, 2007 at 6:16PM EST

Monday, Nov 26, 2007 @06:16pm EST

Injured in the line of duty and asked to pay back some of their earnings.

That's what some injured Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are claiming.

They say the army is asking for a return of enlistment bonuses, some in the tens of thousands of dollars.

There are nearly 36 thousand vets in Luzerne county alone, and many of them are Iraq and Afghanistan war vets.

So this has the potential to affect a lot of people in our area.

But the United States army says it's not standard policy to make injured troops pay back bonuses.

A loophole in the system that will likely be fixed.

That's how Luzerne county veterans affair director Richard Wren describes alleged military enlistment bonus payback requests.

Wren says, “many regulations are written with not every scenario possible put in place."

Wren says his office helps 60 to 70 veterans a month.

Some are Iraq and Afghanistan war vets.

Veteran records are kept private, so it's not clear how many wounded veterans are in Luzerne county.

So far no problems have been reported here at the Luzerne county department of veterans affairs.

Wren hopes congress can remedy the problem all together.

"the important thing is not just to remedy the present situation, but i would hope that they would grandfather this in so anybody before this bill would be reinstated with the money."

Wren says many Iraq and Afghanistan war vets are being redeployed from our area.

That could increase the number of injured servicemen returning home.

The army says it's officially reviewing how many veterans have been asked to repay enlistment bonuses.

The veterans guaranteed bonus act is being pushed through congress.

It would make sure injured vets don't have to pay these bonuses back.

Congressman Paul Kanjorski's is co-sponsoring the act.

His office sent us his comment on this issue.

In short, he say's it's outrageous, and it needs to be changed immediately.
 


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