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View Full Version : Our tax dollars at work!

eddie
09-27-13, 04:33 PM
US Army pays $16 Million dollars to soldiers who are AWOL or deserters, over a 2 year period!

http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20130927&id=16945383
Wolferz
09-27-13, 05:03 PM
US Army pays $16 Million dollars to soldiers who are AWOL or deserters, over a 2 year period!

http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20130927&id=16945383

No such thing as military intelligence.:hmmm:
Platapus
09-27-13, 06:13 PM
Well if commanders are not filling out the paperwork and informing the Army of the status, one can hardly blame the army pay system.

What I want to know is did the Army get this money back?
eddie
09-27-13, 06:25 PM
I would think they could trace the accounts if its an electronic transfer, don't believe they use the snail mail system for that anymore?
Platapus
09-27-13, 06:50 PM
I have been out for over 10 years, but when I was in, you had to have a very special reason not to have Direct Deposit for your military pay.

I am not sure that waiver is even still in existence any more. I think everyone has to have DD now.
eddie
09-27-13, 08:41 PM
I agree with that, so if someone is making withdrawals, they should be on a security camera somewhere I would think!
Stealhead
09-28-13, 12:59 AM
DOD is 100% direct deposit with some very special exceptions the only I am aware of a are temporary and in those cases the person gets a government issue debit card deal.

I am willing to bet that many of these AWOL are guard and reserve it is much easier for them to go AWOL.

Also the term is general one can be AWOL for a matter of minutes say for example not showing up for duty at the prescribed time could be seconds or several hours.Or You could be AWOL for several days.In theory there should be a pay deduction for the AWOL time span.

I am thinking that most of the mistakes where those that where simply AWOL for a few but came back (and received punishment which 99% of time means reduction in rank and therefore pay does not apply for being a few minutes late unless it becomes a habit).

I also suspect that the true deserters most likely stopped using their old bank account anyway and did not take the money(for fear of being tracked down) though none the less the money was transferred and it cost the Army either way.

Of course this makes me think I have heard of former Army troops talk about how they would show up for roll call and then simply sneak off this would also be AWOL but they must have had no concern for getting found out.I have heard this from more than one Army vet not to say they all do this but still it was a surprise to me.