Army Times: DoD on the Clock to Plan Stop-loss Payments

The Army Times recently quoted IAVA Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff in this article about the Department of Defense's 120-day deadline to launch a payment plan for nearly 185,000 stoplossed service members eligible to receive retroactive backpay for every month they served beyond their enlistment contract since September 10, 2001.

The head of a major veterans group, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the stop-loss provision is an important step in recognizing the sacrifices being made by service members.

"Washington is finally paying more than lip service to our troops,” said Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA’s executive director.

Rieckhoff also praised the inclusion of a new benefit, the Fry Scholarship, that gives surviving children of service members who die on active duty the right to their own 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

"Our government is finally paying its debt to thousands of stop-lossed troops and showing gratitude to the families of our fallen heroes. Both provisions will mean real money in the pockets of those who deserve it most,” Rieckhoff said in a statement.