This won't stand.
There is an update right at the link you posted:
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.
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It sounds like a screw up. I am sure he will be able to get disability benefits for the rest of his life, free medical care, and so on. While obviously this is terrible, this is not the norm, these are just things that some people latch onto, to make the US military look "evil and heartless".
Great comeback
I don't know if this is the full story or not and I've often stuck my foot in my mouth by jumping first and asking second, but if this is true, we should all be ashamed of the government and military leadership over this matter.
See how this works? One question (suggested by a reporter who also made sure his guy got the mike--not that I have a problem, per se, with the ONE question) is now morphing into "soldiers" plural "peppering" (as in one after the other after the other) Rumsfeld.
Chrissy Matthews said the same last night, using the plural and making it sound like many questions were asked and leaving the impression no answers were given.
You'll have to pardon me for waiting to hear more details on the main subject of the story you posted before weighing in with an informed opinion.
Someone messed up the paperwork, as mentioned in the article in the Times Herald Record (An ultra-liberal communist rag by the way).
My question is: Why go to the paper instead of going to the JAG or a similar representative?
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..
You just gotta stir up the proper authorities to roast their asses when they get outta hand.
SO9
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.
If Schumer has his arms around it... it smells...
Suggest looking deeper..
Sean Hannity should inquire about a fund for this soldier and inform us by radio.
The family was together in the hospital at Walter Reed?
(Just remember the origin of the word SNAFU was with the Army. Some things never change.)
Something's not right here. I ran the separations center at El Toro for three years, and no matter how much pay the service member owed the government was not allowed to use his travel pay to make up the debt. No matter what, the individual got his travel entitlements.
There's more to this story.
Just say you are outraged!
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2004/12/10/dcloriaw1.htm
Benefit Fund for Robert Loria
Bank of New York
440 route 211 East
Middletown, NY 10940
Soldiers hae no worse enemy than the rear-area bean-counters, and bureaucrats. The REMF's handling his out-processing should be immediately transferred to the infantry and sent to Iraq.
Unfortunately, this kind of stuff happens all of the time. When they think they've overpaid you, they immediately start making demands to get the money back. When they've made stupid paperwork errors and underpay you, it takes months and months to get your money. If you ever do. The military has it's share of incompetents just like any other government agency.
Get a grant from Army Relief?