Pentagon to probe improper payments to guardsmen

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON

The Pentagon launched an inquiry into improperly granted enlistment bonuses given to thousands of California National Guardsmen as state authorities failed to conclude its own probe, a defense official said Wednesday.

The Defense Department said earlier this week that it asked more than 10,000 national guardsmen to return the $20 million in bonuses they improperly received 10 years ago.

While only soldiers with certain assignments such as “intelligence, civil affairs and some noncommissioned officer posts” were eligible to get bonuses, inspectors discovered that officials committed fraud to meet the recruitment targets, according to media reports.

After veterans and t Congress expressed outrage, Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered a stop to the recollection of the bonuses until the department could figure out a way of “working effectively” to treat the guardsmen “fairly and equitably.”

According to Carter, while some soldiers knew or should have known they were ineligible for benefits, many others did not.

Carter said that the department has identified 2,000 guard members who have been incorrectly paid but the cases for other individuals are still under review.

“Hundreds of affected guard members in California have sought and been granted relief. But that process has simply moved too slowly and in some cases imposed unreasonable burdens on service members. That is unacceptable,” Carter said.

A defense official told reporters that this more of a “California issue”, adding that there are just dozens of similar cases in other states.

Responding to a question why the Pentagon got involved in the issue so late, the official said the department “relied on California National Guard” but figured out it took too long to conclude the probe.

The chairman of the House of Representatives Oversight Committee said Tuesday that he would to launch his own investigation.

The committee is the top investigative body in the House.