U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday suspended a Pentagon order that California National Guardsmen repay thousands of dollars in enlistment bonuses and tuition assistance they had received by mistake.
“While some soldiers knew or should have known they were ineligible for benefits they were claiming, many others did not,” Carter, who is in Europe meeting with U.S. allies, said in a statement.
“This process has dragged on too long, for too many service members,” he said. “Too many cases have languished without action. That’s unfair to service members and to taxpayers.”
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, applauded the decision in a statement.
“I am very pleased that the Department of Defense responded to the outcry from Americans across the nation,” he said. “As I discussed with the deputy secretary of Defense last night, our veterans have already given more than what they owe to this nation, and today’s swift action demonstrates that the department agrees.
“While I am happy we were able to work with officials at the Department of Defense to address this issue, we must continue to work to provide a long-term legislative solution so that this never happens again.”
About 10,000 California National Guard troops had been ordered to repay enlistment bonuses — some of more than $15,000 — that were improperly given to them. The Los Angeles Times, which first reported on the bonuses last week, said audits revealed the California Guard had overpaid troops in order to entice them to join and meet enlistment targets more than a decade ago.
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Ash Carter just demonstrated that there is at least one sane person with power in the department of Defense…and he is the one….