Comments on: DoD To Implement Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay

By: Marcus

Marcus — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:40:04 +0000

What is pretty apparent, Amanda, is that you didn’t bother to do any research on us as authors here at You Served prior to posting. Every single author, including me, are directly involved with the military. CJ is on active duty. Troy is retired. I’m on active duty. Claire is a military spouse.

It is very unfortunate that your husband was subject to stop-loss. I don’t personally agree with the practice, but until Congress changes the law, it is perfectly legal and will continue to happen.

What is further unfortunate is your playing of the PTSD card. I highly suggest you don’t continue marching around blogs throwing it around without knowing the author you’re throwing it at. Take a look at CJ’s other blog, A Soldier’s Perspective at http://www.soldiersperspective.us. You’ll understand why I suggested so once you’re there and read back a bit.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:55:29 +0000

Are you serious? Did you even serve? With comments like that, CJ, it’s apparent that you didn’t. My husband was stop-lossed and served 12 months in Iraq. He missed the birth of his first and only child while he was gone. He didn’t even meet his only child until he was 6 months old. This is time he will never get back. On top of that, my husband will never be the same person again. The PTSD he has suffered with ever since coming home is something you don’t wish on your worst enemy. Had he not been under stop-loss, none of this would have ever happened. Even with all of that being said, he is so proud of his service, (as am I), and he would never change the fact that he was able to serve his country. And because of this, he deserves compensation.

By: blue cord warrior u dont know wat i am unless u have 1

blue cord warrior u dont know wat i am unless u have 1 — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:29:01 +0000

This goes out to the stupid guy name cj thanks a lot for not having a heart nd never being stoplossed ever. I jus wanted to comment bout the signin contract thing if u been in da army like the rest of us u might have a lil clue why this money is well deserving. To us real soldiers who have been deployed to iraq nd the ghan we understand I missed the birth of my first born lil girl time nd stoploss pay will neva give me back the lost memories I should of had. I was 3 mo from gettin out when I was stop lossed for 14 more months this money is to help us and our families out for the armys mistake maybe u should tell my bestfriend who gave the ultimate sacrifice wen he died 2 days befor his 21st bday in afghanistan u should tell his wife that the even though her husband sereved his country ultimately he signed the contract nd he knows wat he got himself into….I miss u wes… I’m done talking I hope I neva meet this cj kid for his sake infantry wolfhound out hooooooaaaaahhhh!!!

By: native4alpha

native4alpha — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:55:01 +0000

Well its certainly easy to be a hardass when you’ve got nothing on the line.

Others have said it before but I’ll reiterate; our government rewards losers with welfare and food stamps and a number of other programs which has created multi-generational .gov teat sucklers who contribute nothing but CO2 while living in subsidized housing and pumping out another monthly stipend generator whenever they feel the need.

Why don’t you blog about slashing welfare? when an able-bodied female bitches about how medicaid won’t cover her name brand antidepressants I die a little inside. Yet you want to flex your iron fist on a bunch of guys who WENT TO WAR???

I don’t recall any veteran groups marching on washington demanding we get $500 per month we were stop-lossed. Our bloated and inefficient congress decided to give a little taste to the troops as they spend our grandchildrens money.

I’m looking forward to the 7k I should be getting, I don’t think I “deserve” it but I know for a fact that I earned it. I doubt you have the slightest clue what members of the military go through when in a war zone. I’m not presumptuous enough to think I speak for the troops but when you find yourself on a rooftop behind a wall that is slowly but surely being knocked down, you look to your buddy so you can share the “this is it” look-only your “buddy” in this instance is an Iraqi Lieutenant bleeding from a nasty cut on his neck…tough break GI! But I know others have similar stories-the fact is that war is pretty tough. I may be biased but I think that veterans are a national treasure and deserve any good thing that comes their way.

Please don’t cheapen their sacrifices with your indignation. Its misplaced and makes you look like a tool.

By: SSG Hayes

SSG Hayes — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:16:59 +0000

Hey CJ, were you stop lossed? If so are you going to give the money back?

By: INFANTRY Vet

INFANTRY Vet — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:28:57 +0000

While I completely respect and understand your opinion on the subject, I disagree. I was stop-lossed 2 months out from a 15-month deployment and 2 more months when we returned home. Before getting stop-lossed I was excited and had made plans on post-Army endeavors. The Commanding Officer of my company sat me down in front of all the Platoon Sergeants and Platoon Leaders and asked me if I wanted to get out of the Army or go on the deployment with my Brothers. I told him I decided to get out. It was understood in my head that I was getting out, moving on. My supervisors also understood. It is about a week process to “get out of the Army” and clear Fort Stewart. I was 3 days into the process already when the stop-loss hit me.

Yes, I signed a contract. Yes, it was for 3 years + 5 IRR. Still…I believe that some un-needed pyscological tampering could have been avoided. 6 dead Brothers, my driver that will never walk correctly ever again and 2 Purple Hearts for myself later…….I welcome the compensation. If things are going to be a little easier for my family, I’m happy. Is that wrong?

Scars are forever, we fought hard.

By: Chad

Chad — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:08:49 +0000

CJ,
I view the stoploss pay the same way I view seperation pay, jump pay, hazard pay etc. The special pay allowances are, to my understanding, in place to compensate those people who are asked to do more while fulfilling contractual obligations than others who signed the same contract. This doesn’t necessarily make me a “baby” for accepting the $250 seperation pay for example while deployed even though I was fully aware that there would be long periods of time spent away from my spouse and children before I signed the dotted line. Complaining about stoploss prior to fulfilling the req. 8 years is indeed absurd but to complain about giving out 1 special pay allowance brings into question all special pay allowances and that makes about as much sense as two dudes kissing.

By: Anonyvet

Anonyvet — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:08:08 +0000

Welfare, Stimulus package, Corporate Bailouts… yeah, those free-loading soldiers don’t desrve a dime!

By: Sibnuts

Sibnuts — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:46:06 +0000

They give billions to AIG, and the Big 3, why not give a little bonus to the people that actually fought for this country? It’s not like they get paid a whole lot for their sacrifices.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:14:43 +0000

Well, they give billions out in wellfare compensation and aid to illegsal immigrants who never lifted a finger for the US of A. A vast majority of those don’t deserve it either. So what if a little something is given to vets who actually did something???