Pentagon urged to stop collecting Guard bonuses

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday called for the Pentagon to immediately suspend efforts to recover enlistment bonuses paid to thousands of soldiers in California who signed up to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“When those Californians answered the call to duty they earned more from us than bureaucratic bungling and false promises,” Ryan said, urging the Pentagon to suspend collection efforts until “Congress has time ... to protect service members from lifelong liability for DOD’s mistakes.”

Ryan’s comments came as the White House said President Barack Obama has warned the Defense Department not to “nickel and dime” service members who were victims of fraud by overzealous recruiters.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday he did not believe Obama would support a blanket waiver of repayments, but said Guard members should not be held responsible for “unethical conduct or fraud perpetrated by someone else.”

Defense Secretary Ash Carter, meanwhile, promised to resolve a festering conflict that has lingered for a decade.

The Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend that the Pentagon has demanded that some soldiers repay their enlistment bonuses after audits revealed overpayments by the California National Guard. Recruiters under pressure to fill ranks and hit enlistment goals at the height of the two wars improperly offered bonuses of $15,000 or more to soldiers who re-enlisted, the newspaper reported.

If soldiers refuse to pay the bonus back, they could face interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens.

Asked about the matter at a news conference Tuesday in Paris, Carter said the issue is complex and being handled by the deputy secretary of defense, Robert Work.