Bill would pay extra for stop-loss service

Bill would pay extra for stop-loss service
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 25, 2008 12:45:39 EDT

Service members whose military careers are involuntarily extended by stop-loss orders would be compensated $1,500 a month for each additional month of service under a bill introduced Friday in the Senate.

The bill, S 3060, would not only affect the estimated 4,000 soldiers now affected by stop-loss, but also would retroactively apply to the more than 58,000 people whose retirements have been delayed or whose enlistments have been extended because the services decided they were needed on active duty.

The $1,500 payment would be paid for serving even one day of a month beyond the period when service was supposed to end.

The average stop-loss has forced service members to remain on active duty for an additional 6.6 months, which means that the bill, if it were to become law, would result in average payments of $10,500 to those whose lives have been changed by the policy.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., chief sponsor of bill, said the money is just a small bit of recognition for the disruption in the lives of service members and their families.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_stoploss_compensation_052408w/