FORT BRAGG, N.C. - They put aside their civilian jobs and marched off
to help in the war on terrorism.
And when the North Carolina National Guard's 211th Military Police Company
came home after seven months guarding detainees in Afghanistan, they were
welcomed with outstretched arms, a parade ...and a $13,000 bill.
That tab covered uniforms the MPs wore out in Afghanistan, as well as
equipment on which the soldiers wrote their names so they wouldn't lose
it.
An angry congressman helped get the charges reduced to $2,464, leaving
some soldiers with bills averaging $41. But the hard feelings remain.
'They brought him back home and said, `Thanks for going, but here's what
you
owe us for letting you borrow our stuff,' '' said Kim Newland, whose husband,
Sgt. Jeff Newland, was charged $19.97 to replace a canteen cover marked
with his name.
Paycheck Deduction
The 22-year veteran of regular Army and National Guard MP units told his
wife
he'd pay any amount so he could come home. Newland's final paycheck from
the
deployment had a deduction for ``government property loss/damaged.''
Newland's wife said the equipment and uniforms were ''nasty'' when the
troops
came home, covered in dust after months in sandstorms.
''I laundered every bit of it. I had it back in tip-top shape to turn in,''
she said. ``His was turned in clean, but he got charged because his name
was
on it. They were told to write their names on things.''
The Army said the bill resulted from the service's strict procedures to
account for every piece of issued property, from duffel bags to helicopters.
Maj. Gary Tallman, a spokesman at Fort Bragg, where the equipment was
returned, said the procedures include a routine review that sometimes leads
to
misunderstandings and aggravation.
In the case of the 211th, the review included a letter of complaint from
Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, whose western North Carolina district
includes the Clyde-based 211th. His letter listed 45 members of the104-member
unit who were unhappy about the policy.
Taylor also issued a news release saying he liked accountability as much
as
anyone, but charging soldiers ``for wear and tear on equipment used in
a
combat zone while defending our freedom is way over the top.''
Normal wear
Initially, the tab after the unit returned last month was $13,000. But
the
Army determined that $9,000 was due to normal wear and tear, including
$6,000 for desert camouflage uniforms. The rest of the difference was for
miscellaneous items that were written off by the Army. The Army did not
provide a breakdown of the final $2,464 bill.
Taylor spokesman Will Hanie said last week that the complaints had been
resolved and the Army was reviewing how it releases reserve troops ``to
make the demobilization process as soldier-friendly as possible.''
Fort Bragg's Tallman said everyone from commanding generals to foot
soldiers must abide by the procedures.
Tallman said he personally was snared by the regulations during the Gulf
War
when he had to pay for damage to a duffel bag and canteen cover. His
commander told him to write his name on tape affixed to the gear to keep
it
from being lost, but it cost Tallman about $60 because the tape left residue.
''I took the same bag I took to the Gulf War to Afghanistan, but this time
I
wrote all over it because it was mine,'' he said.
Soldiers as a rule can keep caps and uniform parts that have contact with
the
skin, such as long underwear. But the ''cammies'' -- the outer uniform
-- have
to be returned along with canteen and covers, ponchos, ruck sacks and sleeping
bags.