Military Retiree Forced To Pay Back $100,000 for DOD’s Mistake
Here is another example of a military retiree turned government civilian getting hammered by DOD for a mistake they made:
Christopher Garcia couldn’t figure out why we was being called into the civilian human resources department in Okinawa.
It had been two years since he retired as a Marine gunnery sergeant and took a job as the lead defense travel administrator in the III Marine Expeditionary Force’s disbursing office. The transition had gone so well, his office had been recognized for excellence.
But, it turns out, things were too good to be true.
Despite being promised a housing allowance when he was offered the job, the HR office was now telling him that the interpretation of the rules had changed and he no longer qualified.
Then, he essentially was handed a bill for more than $100,000.
“Regrettably, the previous determination of your eligibility for [living quarters allowance] was erroneous,” CHRO Director Deborah Summers wrote in a letter handed to Garcia on Jan. 20. “Because you have been erroneously receiving LQA payments, you are required to repay the LQA you have received.”
Garcia was in shock.
Not only was he on the hook for two years’ rent and utilities, but his housing allowance payments would stop immediately. He said it would be nearly impossible to afford his house now, and his family — with five children living at home — had just celebrated Christmas.
“When I see what this is doing to my family … It’s the betrayal of a loyal individual,” Garcia said. “I don’t have the disposable income to just throw down another $8,000 on a move.” [Stars & Stripes]
You can read more at the link, but hopefully this gentlemen can get that debt waived because I can only imagine how much more difficult life would be for this family having to pay that huge debt back every month on top of trying to find a new place to live that they can afford.
– America is paying FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS a year to basically rent a house?
…and they are doing it for (tens of) thousands of people in tens (hundreds?) of countries.
This is why the rest of us cannot have nice things.
– This screwworm has a retirement check, a cushy job, and free rent and utilities… yet can’t come up with $8,000?
What is wrong with people? Even though he is technically getting a raw deal, it is hard to have pity for people who are so irresponsible… especially when you know aspects of their irresponsibility affect everyone around them.
– Breaking promises is starting to be an American habit… at least to individuals and populations… but not to corporations.
This is why those that have been given nice things might not have them in the future.
There are no heroes in this story… and fewer heroes in any story, these days.
If CH was sticker-shocked at $50K /yr, look up the LQA rate for Tokyo — it was $88K last I checked.
I’m forced to agree with “manok ulo” on this. That’s a heck of a lot of money for rent. For a job that could be done from anywhere. And it causes me pain to say that. “[L]ead defense travel administrator in the III Marine Expeditionary Force’s disbursing office”…
How many III MEU support people in Okinawa live in houses that cost $50,000/year in rent?
I tried manok ulo once.
Once.
After gnawing off the sliver of comb, cracking the skull with my molars, and giving one suck… well… I was done.
With a sour look, I handed the stick to my friend and he gobbled up the other two like a Filipino on a chicken head.
…because he was Filipino and they were chicken heads, I presume.
You tried mankok once? Gave it a good suck and were done? That’s not what your bevy of trannies say!
Oh, wait. manok ulo? The Philipino chicken head delicacy? My bad. Never mind and carry on.
I don’t blame this guy for accepting LQA. If DOD is going to give someone a certain amount of money for housing of course the person is going to get the best house they can get.
Also if DOD told him before he came to Okinawa that he had to pay for housing would have moved there in the first place? Maybe he had another job in CONUS offered to him, but accepted the Okinawa job because it had LQA?
Now this guy is stuck with a huge bill, has to pay to move his family, and may be stuck in a job he would not accepted in the first place if it wasn’t for the LQA.
The amount he was given for LQA and whether or not he is retired and how much he makes from that is irrelevant or a different discussion. As far as his retirement, he already earned that and it should not be part of any calculation.
The bottom line is DoD continues to retroactively reinterpret regulations and is breaking contractual obligations. It is wrong and goes against the precedent of 1000 years of common law.
This fellow acted in good faith and inquired multiple times as to his eligibility. Like many other before him, he was told he was good to go – and foolishly (as of late) took their word on it.
If DOD will pay $500 for a hammer. Why not pay $100,000 for a worker?
As much a bad deal that is and as much Wrong it is for our govt to tell someone to fork over 100,000 smackeroos… That dude is making some serious smackeroos already and I got no sympathy. The job offering description will clearly state if moving expenses and housing are provided. That dude making more cash cow than me and Im about to retire after 30 yrs.
Like Chickenhead said in his first post. I live near an Army installation in Korea and a lot of the GS workers have been here for a long time getting paid for everything on top of the salary. If they are retired military they get even more money pending they are not divorced. I see them here for long periods of time, they return to the US for at least two years, and then return. A lot of them like to brag about the fact that the US government pays for everything. I see lots of them driving BMW”s, Lexus and Mercedes.
“That’s not what your bevy of trannies say!”
When I cracked her skull between my molars, it sure did kill the moment.
Anyway..
– There is no blame on this guy for taking a semi-manufactured job with an offer of high pay and benefits. Looking out for yourself and your family by taking advantage of opportunities that arise is a feature, not a bug.
– If the American government makes a promise, it generally MUST follow through. Many of the national and international advantages America has are based only on trust.
Examples range from high level of protection of property rights which encourage industry and investment… to upholding due process and the rule of law which build trust between citizens and government… to maintaining the value of a fiat currency which allows more debt to be sold and more demand for dollars.
Counter-examples are starting to become common… from increased use of eminent domain to take land from private citizens to give to corporation for “economic development”… to shady asset forfeiture practices… to retroactive reinterpretations of rules and regulations (more flexible than law) to accomplish short term goals.
Almost all of these acts target individuals rather than populations and small business rather than large corporations and multinationals.
If too much trust is eroded between America and any of the groups that support it, there will be serious problems… economic or social.
– It seems one of the reasons for some of the high government pay and benefits is that it buys silence over all the obvious fraud, waste, and abuse. It is almost impossible to be a whistleblower and do the “right thing” when it is wrong for your family.
There appears to be self-awareness of this in the community… butas has now become so open and accepted that many people brag about how they are taking advantage of the situation.
William says…”I got no sympathy”
Me neither! It’s about time somebody pays for a DOD mistake, now it’s time to pay for them all which includes sending American troops home from the ROK. YANKEE GO HOME!!!
Chickenhead says…”and fewer heroes in any story, these days.”
I haven’t forgotten that your recent hero is Putin.
I am also forced to agree with Leon… [insert shocked face here]
Especially the part about retroactive billing. That’s really a Stalinist or Maoist bureaucrat coming up with that tactic.
“The amount he was given for LQA and whether or not he is retired and how much he makes from that is irrelevant or a different discussion. As far as his retirement, he already earned that and it should not be part of any calculation.
The bottom line is DoD continues to retroactively reinterpret regulations and is breaking contractual obligations. It is wrong and goes against the precedent of 1000 years of common law.
This fellow acted in good faith and inquired multiple times as to his eligibility. Like many other before him, he was told he was good to go – and foolishly (as of late) took their word on it.”
This guy is a retired gunny so it isn’t like he is making a fortune from his retirement. Also he has five kids so once again that is a huge financial burden that he probably took the highest paying job he could find to support. Who can blame him for that? Now DOD is sticking it to him after he made a decision to move his family all the way to Okinawa for said job. If DOD was up front with him from the beginning he may not have moved to Okinawa in the first place.
I do not see how any of you can blame him for this mess.
I’m pretty certain we were not blaming the retired NCO. In my case, I was just appalled at the way we spend so much on a single civilian worker that could have been spent on retaining more “TO&E”. Those smart guys at the Pentagon got rid of my AFSC back in the 90s…
Remember, the DoD uses the State Department rate for LQA and a Byzantine mismatched and mish-mashed kludge of different State, and DoD regs and US Code.
Who woulda thought there weren’t enough people is the Pentagon to write more regs. Of course it gives DoD a broader spectrum depending on how they wish to interpret or reinterpret regulations. They can point at State and say “not us.”
Once again, the guy inquired multiple times and was told he was eligible. That should be the end of the story. No other factors are relevant to his case.
Issue #1: Did the United States government screw him over by promising something and then backing out? Yes. Is he to blame in any way? No.
Issue #2: Is he irresponsible to have so many kids and other expenses that he doesn’t have $8000 in the bank after living at least 2 years rent free with a high-paying job and a retirement check? That is only saving $333/month for 2 years. Unknown factors aside, yes… irresponsible. In this day and age, in our non-agrarian society, anybody with five kids had better just StFU if they are looking for pity over their financial problems.
Issue #3: Is this bullshyt position with an inflated salary, inflated benefits, and additional subsidies for 5 kids, bordering on fraud, waste, and abuse? Yes.
$100, 000 is peanuts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSiBx5NMhPM
Life after you lose LQA! 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSiBx5NMhPM