BOLTON – Congressman Bennie Thompson is urging veterans whose service was extended under stop loss orders, in Iraq and Afghanistan, to apply for retroactive pay before the Oct. 21 deadline. Thompson said troops eligible for retroactive pay will receive $500 a month for each month their service was extended.
The Defense Department estimates that while 145,400 troops are eligible, only 58,000 claims have been paid out thus far.
“Our brave men and women have made tremendous sacrifices for our country,” said Thompson. “In 2009, we passed legislation to compensate our service members for tours that were involuntarily extended in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the deadline fast approaching, I urge all eligible troops to submit their claims so that they can receive the retroactive pay they earned through their service,” he continued. “Working with our local veterans organizations, I want to make sure that all eligible service members here in Mississippi get the benefits they have earned.”
In 2009, Thompson voted to pass HR 2346, the War Supplemental Appropriations Act which established retroactive stop loss special pay (RSLSP). This allows troops whose service was involuntarily extended between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2009 to file claims in order to receive retroactive pay if eligible.
The deadline for submissions is Oct. 21, 2010.
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