Local Woman Speaks Out Against Son-In-Law's Military Pay Reduction
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
A former Pierceton resident, who is currently stationed as an Army staff sergeant at Camp Atterbury, received a big surprise Friday when he received his paycheck. There was more than $1,200, or more than 50 percent, taken out of his military paycheck in debt payment, according to the soldier’s mother-in-law, Lauri Jane, Warsaw, who chose not to give her son-in-law’s name to protect his identity. The paycheck showed his total pay was taxed, and extra money he has taken out of his check each month and put into saving also was taxed, according to Jane. “I wanted someone to know what is going on. Our soldiers are saving our lives daily, they don’t need to have their paycheck amount reduced,” Jane said. Jane said she thinks the pay cut may have been attributed to the government shut down. Jane’s son-in-law is a 1995 Warsaw Community High School graduate, and his parents live in Pierceton. He has a wife and 8-year-old daughter who live in Edinburgh, which is outside of Camp Atterbury. Jane said her son-in-law received his paycheck Friday, and she received a phone call from his wife Friday informing her that his paycheck was less than half of what he was previously making. “The paycheck was not even enough to make their house payment after his paycheck was cut,” Jane said. During a telephone interview Friday afternoon, Sgt. First Class Tina Eichenour, Indiana National Guard, Indianapolis, said every active duty military member was paid on time for pay earned prior to the expiration of the Continuing Resolution Act (midnight April 8) – approximately half of their normal mid-month payment. Active duty military and on-duty reservists cannot be paid for duty performed after the resolution expires, until additional legislation is enacted. Once another resolution or an appropriation act is signed into law, normal disbursement of pay will resume for pay earned after employees return to work. Military members who perform duty during the shutdown will be entitled to retroactive payments, Eichenour said. The White House announced Thursday night that President Barack Obama had postponed a scheduled trip to Indianapolis for Friday morning. The news came after Obama and congressional leaders failed to reach agreement on a compromise to cut spending ahead of a midnight Friday government shutdown. Obama was scheduled to visit Allison Transmission, a supplier plant that makes transmission systems for hybrid vehicles Friday. In a press release issued Friday afternoon, Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) said he supported the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011 (S. 724), which would make certain that military personnel are paid in the event of a government shutdown. “Republicans have put forward legislation to avert a government shutdown and reduce spending, but unfortunately the president continues to oppose our efforts without offering his own plan,” Coats said.“If a shutdown does occur, we need to ensure our men and women in the military continue to receive their paychecks, without interruption. Our heroes in uniform and their families are making tremendous sacrifices every day, and we need to support them as they serve our country.” If a shutdown does occur, this bipartisan legislation would make available the necessary funds to prevent interruptions in pay for members of the military. The legislation also gives the Secretary of Defense the discretion to allow those who serve as Department of Defense civilians or contractors in support of the military to continue to be paid.
