He lost an arm in Iraq; the Army wants money

Record online ^ | December 10, 2004 | Dianna Cahn

[Fyscat]

Middletown – He lost his arm serving his country in Iraq. Now this wounded soldier is being discharged from his company in Fort Hood, Texas, without enough gas money to get home. In fact, the Army says 27-year-old Spc. Robert Loria owes it close to $2,000, and confiscated his last paycheck. "There's people in my unit right now – one of my team leaders [who was] over in Iraq with me, is doing everything he can to help me .... but it's looking bleak," Loria said by telephone from Fort Hood yesterday. "It's coming up on Christmas and I have no way of getting home."

[waRNmother.armyboots]

Update on story

December 10, 2004

Army takes action on soldier
Family sets up benefit fund

By Dianna Cahn
Times Herald-Record
dcahn@th-record.com

LIVE CHAT: Join reporter Dianna Cahn and Christine Loria, wife of Spc. Robert Loria today at 6:30 for a live chat.

Previous story: He lost an arm in Iraq; the Army wants money

Middletown – Outrage over Army Spc. Robert Loria's struggle to get home after losing his arm in service for his country prompted the Army today to take action.
Responding to pressure from Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Saugerties, and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, the Army said it would release Loria on medical discharge beginning immediately, both men said.
The Army has also agreed to waive most of the debt against Loria and to help him file proper paperwork for the rest of it.
Aides to Hinchey and Schumer said the Army was going to forgive the $2,408 in excess Family Separation allowance the military erroneously paid Loria as well as a $310 charge for equipment issued to Loria that was damaged or lost in the attack in Iraq. And the Army was also going to help Loria refile his travel papers to make sure he does not get saddled with paying back advance travel money used to travel from the base at Fort Hood, Texas, to a follow-up visit to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
"The Congressman was pleased that the Army recognized its mistakes and has worked to fix those," said Dan Ahouse, Hinchey's aide. "However, a man who has made such an extreme sacrifice for his country should never have been in this situation to begin with. This situation begs the question of how many other Spc. Lorias are there?"
Schumer, speaking to the Times Herald-Record, said he was outraged when he heard of Loria's predicament.
"It broke my heart. I was both sad and angry," Schumer said. "The first thing is to help him, and then to see if it is happening to anybody else."
An outpouring also came from people across our region and across the country. A fund is being set up by the Loria family for all those offering assistance as Loria tries to rebuild his life after such an ordeal.

The family of Robert Loria has setup a benefit fund:

Benefit Fund for Robert Loria
Bank of New York
440 route 211 East
Middletown, NY 10940

Who to call to help

Outraged about Army Spc. Robert Loria's plight? Speak your mind. Below are contact numbers for federal legislators and defense officials.
U.S. Senate: Hillary Clinton: 202-224-4451; Charles Schumer: 212-486-4430 email
U.S. House of Representatives: Maurice Hinchey: 845-344-3211; Sue Kelly: 845-897-5200
Secretary of Defense: Donald Rumsfeld: 703-692-7100
Fort Hood: Major General James D. Thurman: 254-288-2255 or Fort Hood operator at 254-287-1110; Public Information Officer Jim Whitmeyer: 254-287-0103

Read more in tomorrow's edition of the Times Herald-Record..

[cyncooper]

President Bush glorifying Annan?!

What are you smoking?!

LOL

[Servant of the 9]

There will always be screwups.
There will always be REMFs who care more about the paperwork than the troops.

You just gotta stir up the proper authorities to roast their asses when they get outta hand.

SO9

[HiJinx]

Aides to Hinchey and Schumer said the Army was going to forgive the $2,408 in excess Family Separation allowance the military erroneously paid Loria

I know this sounds a little cold-hearted, but...

Loria is getting off easy on this count. $2400 of FSA is several months of excess pay. He and his Platoon Sergeant should both have known this was wrong and they should have been trying to get it corrected ASAP.

I've been in Loria's shoes regarding overpayments, and trust me, you know it when it happens.

As for the other screw-ups in payments - the Army looks to be clearly at fault and deserves to be called on it by outsiders. But Schumer? Yikes.

[Darksheare]

Yeah, someone screwed his paperwork up.
Wonder why he didn't speak to a JAG instead of the paper first?

The Times Herald Record has a history of being anti-military.
My old artillery unit did the 1812 Overture blank shoot for the Thomas Bull Memorial Park 4th of July celebration.
A Record reporter wandered over to us as we were setting up for it and told us we were all murderers and should be shut down as a unit.

So I view the Record's involvement as being less than humanitarian.

[muawiyah]

Hey, it was "soldiers", because there was massive applause when the man asked Rumsfeld the question.

[Wolfstar]

It sounds like a screw up.

Sounds like a typical bureaucracy to me. This kid's case was probably handled by some geeky, officious type who's all impressed with proper forms, quoting the most obscure regs and such. This sort of person tends to completely lose sight of the human dimension to what they do for a living.

[Darksheare]

Definitely smells fishy.

[geopyg]

"...as well as a $310 charge for equipment issued to Loria that was damaged or lost in the attack in Iraq."


Oh great - I just got hit by shrapnel! Now I have to buy a new vest.


(I suppose this $310 charge means "take care of your stuff and don't sell it on the street.")

[Darksheare]

True.

But going to the Times Herald Record?
Pravda and Itar-TASS have more moral credibility than the Record.
I should know, I live in Orange County NY.
(Wish I didn't!)


Hi Swervy, been an interesting day.
See you back in the other thread.

[SwordofTruth]

I am pleased that the error was forgiven but folks just gotta remember, your paycheck is still the company's money and if they overpay in error, you are legally bound to repay them.

No he's not, how the heck did he know he wasn't entitled to that money. I mean with having his armed torn off and everything for his country, one can see why he thought it was due him.

[Stars&StripesNE]

It may smell fishy. However, the fact remains this soldier lost an arm on the field of battle. If the dems grabbed this for political purposes, shame on them. Why didn't Schumer or Clinton reach in their well padded bank accounts and help the soldier until the matter was settled?

[cyncooper]

Um, there was indeed applause by some, not all, and from the video not a majority of the troops. It was not "massive".

I hope you'll concede Rumsfeld was not "peppered" with "questions". He was asked one on the subject which he in fact answered.

Overstating one's case whether exaggerating a response or how many questions is asked on a topic does not further one's credibility.

[bushisdamanin04]

Ah, another media setup?

[muawiyah]

I watched the same video, on FOX no less, and there was a lot of applause. It was a very well received question.

You did notice Rumsfeld answered it quite well, or have you bought into the MSM conspiracy to have us believe that he's incompetent.

[A. Patriot]

.... as well as a $310 charge for equipment issued to Loria that was damaged or lost in the attack in Iraq.

Is it SOP to charge soldiers who lose or damage equipment when they get blowm up or shot by the enemy?

If so, something is very wrong.

[SwordofTruth]

Ah, another media setup?

Yeah a setup that a solider went to all the trouble of getting his armed blown off over for, yeah, real smart!

[hosepipe]

] It broke my heart. I was both sad and angry," Schumer said. "The first thing is to help him, and then to see if it is happening to anybody else." ]

If Schumer has his arms around it... it smells...
Suggest looking deeper..

[xJones]

God. My blood keep boiling

There's only one thing to do, patriot! Call Hillary Clinton and report your boiling blood to her!

Outraged about Army Spc. Robert Loria's plight? Speak your mind. Below are contact numbers for federal legislators and defense officials. U.S. Senate: Hillary Clinton: 202-224-4451; Charles Schumer: 212-486-4430 email U.S. House of Representatives: Maurice Hinchey: 845-344-3211; Sue Kelly: 845-897-5200

What maroons and simpletons to be manipulated by Hillary as usual.

[muawiyah]

The people who know the "obscure regs" are the ones who have to fix problems like this. Most bureaucratic embarrassments are a consequence of NORMAL PROCESSES not being followed.

This man's situation was CREATED by a human being. Nothing in the rules says we are supposed to strip our dead and wounded GIs of their accumulated wealth.