WASHINGTON (Sept. 22, 2010)—U.S. military personnel whose service was extended under stop loss orders in Iraq and Afghanistan have until October 21 to apply for retroactive pay. Troops eligible for retroactive pay will receive $500 a month for each month their service was extended.
The Department of Defense estimates that 145,400 troops are eligible. However, only 58,000 claims have been paid out thus far.
In 2009, Congress passed and the President signed into law H.R. 2346, the War Supplemental Appropriations Act, which established retroactive stop loss special pay (RSLSP). This allows troops whose service was involuntarily extended between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2009 to file claims in order to receive retroactive pay if eligible. The deadline for submissions is October 21, 2010. The average benefit is $3,800. The Secretary of Defense announced in March 2009 a comprehensive plan to eliminate the current use of Stop Loss by March 2011.
For more information or to submit a claim, visit
www.defense.gov/stoploss/.