Stop-loss pay deadline extended to March 18

Stop-loss pay deadline extended to March 18
By Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Mar 8, 2011 17:01:48 EST
WASHINGTON — They’ve sent out letters and flyers and have tweeted and pleaded, but Pentagon officials are still struggling to give away a huge cache of money to troops and veterans.

The Defense Department said Tuesday that as of last week it had spent only $300 million of $534 million approved by Congress as special pay for service members forced after Sept. 11, 2001, to serve beyond their enlistment terms — a controversial practice called stop-loss.

The money was approved in 2009 and troops were supposed to claim it by October. But Congress has just extended the deadline for a fourth time — to March 18.

Extensive efforts by the Pentagon, White House, Congress and the Veterans Affairs Department to get people to file claims for the money have included letters to the last known mailing addresses of all 145,000 believed eligible and a public service announcement taped by President Barack Obama and broadcast last year.

Officials also have posted messages to Facebook pages of the Pentagon and individual services, spread the word through 130 veteran and military service organizations, typed reminders on the bottom of military and retiree pay stubs, and placed television, radio, newspapers and blog stories and announcements in areas of the country with sizable troop populations, said Eileen Lainez, a Defense Department spokeswoman.

The payment is $500 for each month or partial month a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine was forced to stay on active duty and is on top of the regular pay received at the time. Eligible to receive it are troops, veterans and their beneficiaries.
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Stop-loss pay deadline extended to March 18