Following Ayotte Letter, Pentagon Suspends Unacceptable Efforts to Collect Repayments from National Guard Members

Statement

Following a letter Senator Kelly Ayotte sent on Monday, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter issued a statement today announcing the suspension of efforts to recoup National Guard enlistment bonuses. It was reported recently that nearly 10,000 National Guard soldiers-many of whom deployed repeatedly to Iraq and Afghanistan-are being ordered to repay enlistment bonuses. After Carter's announcement, Ayotte issued the following statement today:

"Secretary Carter's announcement regarding the National Guard payments represents a step in the right direction, but suspension is not enough. It is unacceptable to penalize soldiers-who have sacrificed so much for our freedom and security-for a mistake that is not their fault. I again call on Secretary Carter to unambiguously commit to both the permanent elimination of any expectation of payment from individuals who were paid bonuses and fulfilled their commitment to our country as well as the full reimbursement to any such individual who has already made payments," said Ayotte. "I will follow the Pentagon's actions closely to ensure the government does the right thing for those who have sacrificed so much for us. If Secretary Carter believes statutory language is necessary to right this wrong, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I stand ready to work with the Department of Defense to craft that legislation and get it passed without delay."

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