His hand had been blown off in Iraq, his body pierced by shrapnel. He could not walk. Robert Loria was flown home for a long recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he tried to bear up against intense physical pain and reimagine his life's possibilities.

The last thing on his mind, he said, was whether the Army had correctly adjusted his pay rate -- downgrading it because he was out of the war zone -- or whether his combat gear had been accounted for properly: his Kevlar helmet, his suspenders, his rucksack.

But nine months after Loria was wounded, the Army garnished his wages and then, as he prepared to leave the service, hit him with a $6,200 debt. That was just before last Christmas.....

The new analysis comes as the United States has more wounded troops than at any time since the Vietnam War, with thousands suffering serious injury in Iraq or Afghanistan

Army officials said they are in the process of forgiving debts for 99 of the 331 wounded soldiers, all now out of the military. ... Part of the problem is that the government's computerized pay system is designed to "maximize debt collection"……

…..Rep. Todd R. Platts (R-Pa.) said that for some troops, "we've so mismanaged their pay that . . . we've sent debt notices while they're still in combat, in harm's way." Hounding wounded troops is unfathomable, he said. "For even a single soldier, this is unacceptable," he said.

….For wounded troops -- still adjusting to their injuries and changed futures -- a debt notice can be another bitter discovery.

"It was like I was being abandoned. I was no good to the military anymore," recalled Loria, who served more than five years. "They figured the pay glitch was my fault and I was going to pay for it."

This is criminal!!! Is anyone able to comment on this without swearing? You are a better person than me.... [or you have ice water for blood.]

Is there anybody left stupid enough to think that our bloated defense spending actually makes it to the troops? They nickel and dime the shit out of these guys [and gals] and then give no bid contracts to defense contractors for brazillions! It is Criminal, Treasonous and Unpatriotic!!

# posted by Jon Easton : 9:08 PM  7 comments