Corps helps wounded troops collect extra money

Corps helps wounded troops collect extra money

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Monday May 17, 2010 6:20:32 EDT

Thousands of active and former Marines may be eligible for extra money under a recent policy revision expanding benefits to troops wounded in combat, but making sure you collect what you’re owed will require some effort.

But help isn’t far away.

As soon as the Corps issued its revised policy in mid-April, the Wounded Warrior Regiment set out to identify eligible Marines and assist them through the process.

Known as PAC, short for Pay and Allowances Continuation, the benefit allows wounded Marines to collect the monthly special pays they would have lost once they were evacuated from the combat zone. Those can include hostile fire/imminent danger pay; hazardous duty incentive pay; hardship duty pay and several others.

For some, this will total several thousand dollars.

“We just recently credited a Marine $4,000,” said Terry Herron, the regiment’s pay entitlements supervisor.

As of late April, officials had identified 579 Marines eligible under the new rules, and they said they expect there are many others, including Marines who have left the service. However, they said some wounded warriors won’t take the necessary steps to collect the benefits because the process can be confusing.

“We are finding that when Marines get overwhelmed, they won’t apply,” Herron said.
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Corps helps wounded troops collect extra money