I've heard of guys coming back, some of them badly injured, being charged money for losing body armor...WTF?
I see it and fight it for my soldiers here every day. It is a paperwork fuck up that the Army has no sympathy for, and leaves up to us to fix. What happens is, all the TA50 (combat gear) must be accounted for. Should be easy right? Injured in combat, your company overseas can vouch for that, and the problem is solved. The gear is written off as a combat loss, and no charge is issued to the soldier. This same piece of paper insures that soldiers are paid properly, and receive Purple Hearts, and other awards, which also are fucked up regularly. Very seldom do the troops actually have to pay for the gear, but it takes some serious ground work, paper work, and patience to get the shit straightened out. But it IS very unsettling when you receive a bill for $23,000 instead of your paycheck...
drew