Airmen who were involuntarily extended on active duty between 9/11 and Sept. 30, 2009, because of Stop Loss may be eligible for retroactive special pay compensation based on a provision in the 2009 war supplemental, according to the Air Reserve Personnel Center. “We will do everything we can to ensure every eligible servicemember receives this entitlement,” said Steve Hannan, ARPC’s director of personnel program management. The Air Force used Stop Loss during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001-02 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. It affected about 3,400 airmen in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, said ARPC. (In all, Stop Loss affected some 39,000 airmen, according to the Air Force Personnel Center.) People who qualify will receive $500 per month for each month or portion of a month past an established separation or retirement date. The deadline to file a claim is Oct. 21, 2010. (ARPC report by TSgt. Stacy Simon; also see AFPC’s Stop Loss Web page)
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.