It is somewhat of a cliché to say, but 9/11 was a transformative event in this nation’s history. Anyone needing a reminder of how different this country is now needs only to take a trip to the nearest airport or courthouse. But perhaps no segment of the population was more affected than the men and women of this country’s armed services.
I enlisted in the U.S. Army while in high school and left for basic training in July of 2001. During my four years as an airborne infantryman, I deployed overseas on three separate occasions.
However, I was lucky. I was allowed to leave the military at the scheduled end of my four-year enlistment. Between September 2001 and September 2009, the great strain put on this nation’s military resulted in over 120,000 service members experiencing involuntary extensions of their time in service, more commonly known as stop-loss (yes, it’s more terrible than a Ryan Phillippe movie).
Stop-loss greatly complicated the lives of many members of the military. It made planning for the future impossible. Weddings were put on hold. School admissions had to be deferred. Job opportunities were lost. Childbirths were missed.
The federal government has since seen fit to issue special retroactive payments to any veteran or service member affected by stop-loss between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009. This special pay is an acknowledgement of the many difficulties service members encountered in having their military service involuntarily extended.
Those eligible will receive $500 for every month or partial month of time served in stop-loss status, with the average benefit for those eligible being $3,700. This generous program is scheduled to end on Oct. 21, 2011. To date however, less than half of the veterans eligible have applied for the money.
With less than a month left until the program ends, it’s imperative that veterans send in their applications now. If you’re a veteran who experienced stop-loss, send in your application before it’s too late.
If you’re not a veteran, but know someone who experienced stop-loss, encourage him or her to get his or her money. The application process is extremely easy.
Just go to www.defense.gov/stoploss. If you have any questions about the application, I can be contacted at mb824010@ohiou.edu, or you can come to a meeting of the Combat Veterans Club, Thursdays at
7 p.m. in Bentley 021.
Matthew Biddulph is a graduate student studying political science and is the Graduate Student Senate Commissioner for Veteran’s Affairs.
