wcbstv.com — Former Army Specialist Rodriguez started getting bills for $700 for lost or damaged government property this summer. Although he was discharged some four years ago, bills recently arrived demanding payment, but giving no details on what or why -- nor do they offer a way to dispute the charges."For doing my job you're going to bill me?" Rodriguez
Jul 27, 2007 View in Crawl 4
usgpJul 31, 2007
This story ticks me off. But not in the way you'd expect.Pay attention to the video. Right after it scrolls across the dollar amount (at about 38 seconds) you will see the words "Report of Survey". To anyone who doesn't know what this is, it means that at some point, more than likely BEFORE this troop was discharged, an investigation was conducted and the Soldier (SPC Rodriquez) was found liable for the loss/damage.Now, to get it out of the way, I am a Soldier myself. I've been deployed 3 times, twice to Iraq, once to Afghanistan. I know how easy it is to lose, damage, or have equipment stolen. But I also know, as this Soldier should know and acknowledge, that I am accountable and responsible for my equipment. Why shouldn't Soldiers be required to pay for their own irresponsibility? We are grown-ups, not children, and should act as such. He had his chance to dispute the charges, when the "Report of Survey" was being done.As for the Government not being able to show what gear was lost/damaged? Let's look at the numbers again...4 years...1300 Soldiers...1.5 million dollars. Think about that - in four years, SPC Rodriquez's paperwork is one bill among 1300, at $700 out of $1.5 MILLION.Finally, as to the accusation that Commanders and Finance have the opportunity to dismiss the debt...why should they have to? This is an OPTION - not a requirement. If they decide to make the Soldier pay for his own mistake, who are we to judge?Just my 2 cents, folks.SGT USGP
seks03Aug 1, 2007
Why the F**k should he have to pay when the government is throwing our tax dollars away by giving it to Haliburton, Israel, etc, for them to be petty like this and try to screw someone out of this money is a mistake.... regardless if it was his fault or not.
digit01Aug 1, 2007
Typical American government here. Send the "other peoples" kids to war. Give them crappy medical care, forget about the families, and if that isn't enough bill them after the war. Way to support your troops America! No better than how we spit on the troops back in the 70's-except this time we do it all on paper.
toy1Aug 1, 2007
i respect you as a military veteran USGP, i hold you in very high regard (as misguided and disastrous as this war is, that is nothing to do with YOU and your personal missions). my grandfather was shot down as a pilot in WW2 but managed to come home, i would not be here if it weren't for him and thousands like him.but can you watch the short vid at the end of my post? look at the numbers involved. half-of-a-trillion-dollars. how the United States Army can be so petty in hunting down their workhorses, the ones who actually got their hands dirty with blood, all for a measly $1.5million. that $700 PER MONTH can ruin someone, but is literally a drop in the bucket compared to the money pissed away in Iraq.this is a great shame.<a class="user" href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=CXPD7HuDBk4">http://youtube.com/watch?v=CXPD7HuDBk4</a>
compubombAug 1, 2007
If someone is going to risk their life, possibly widow their wives and orphan their children, you would hope--no, you would demand that those whose equipment you use make damn sure that you know how to use it. If in the event that a soldier ends up losing or breaking that equipment during the course of wartime, it should be assumed that equipment is the cost of doing business--the business of killing people.
marvingalaxyAug 1, 2007
I think we should find some 17-year-old naval recruit to pay for an aircraft carrier battle group. It can be done. We know there is a false flag operation in the works, so lets make sure some grunt is stuck with the bill when "Al Qaeda" nukes one of our older obsolete carriers and it's escort fleet. Not only will we finally complete the conversion to dictatorship; we will have someone else pay the bill. Let's see...how to blame him...? I know! Some kid will trip on a rope and delay the departure of some boat associated with a carrier and we will blame him for causing the fleet to be in harm's way due to the delay! Genius!