Non-Payment of Military Bonuses: This Policy Shall Not Stand!

The Department of Defense is demanding that thousands of wounded service personnel give back signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their commitments. Now men and women who have been wounded and can no longer serve are being ordered to pay some of that money back. The military gives enlistment bonuses up to $30,000 in some cases and this issue of non-payment is an embarrassment to our nation.

This embarrassment to our country and to the soldiers that serve indicates a bigger problem, however. It's the Pentagon bureaucracy, not the people that is the issue. It’s not the civilians, but the system that is the core of the problem. You see, somewhere some impersonal bean counter had a thought: “These soldiers left service early so they must forfeit their signing bonus.” Brilliant! I can see the certificate on their office wall now for saving DOD money. But, how did this decision get so far up the chain without someone saying, “No, we should honor our business commitment with these soldiers. It’s the moral thing to do.”

Our soldiers were offered enlistment and reenlistment signing bonuses. The government should honor those bonuses. It’s incredulous that the finest country on the face of the world would even think differently.

Government bureaucracy drains resources from training and equipment to infrastructure and intelligence. Outdated systems crush ideas that could save a life. Redundant processes prevent us from adapting to evolving threats with the speed and agility that today's world demands. Not standing by financial promises, like signing bonus, is also a waste.

Sometimes, keeping a promise can send a clear message of thanks for a job well done and for protecting us from harms way. This policy should not stand.