(Update – December 6, 2010, 12:25 PM Eastern: The Department of Defense has once again extended the Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay deadline.  If you missed the deadline twice before, hurry to get your claim filed before December 18.)

For the past several months, the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have been working to get the word out on Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay.  Many Veterans and service members have been hesitant to submit their claim, thinking there has to be a catch to what is essentially free money.  There is no catch.  If you were stop-lossed to augment a deploying force between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2009, you qualify for $500 for each full and partial month you were kept in the service involuntarily.  The average payout is about $3,700, but only a fraction of those eligible have submitted their claim. Unfortunately, the window to make a claim is fast approaching.  The deadline is now December 18, 2010.

Each branch of service has its own contact information and submission guidelines. Here are the links for each, along with contact information:

Army

877-736-5554

Email: RetroStopLossPay@CONUS.Army.Mil

Navy

901-874-4427

Email: NXAG_N132C@navy.mil

Marine Corps

877-242-2830

Email: stoploss@usmc.mil

Air Force

800-525-0102

Email (Active): afpc.dpsos.stoploss@randolph.af.mil

Email (Guard/Reserve): arpc.contactcenter@arpc.denver.af.mil

Please have at least one of these ready when you begin your claim:

Source Documents

  1. DD 214 (8-09), Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and/or DD 215 (8-09), Correction to DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
  2. Personnel record or enlistment or reenlistment document recording original expiration of service date.
  3. Approved retirement/transfer to the Fleet Reserve memorandum or orders establishing retirement prior to actual date of retirement as stipulated in DD 214 or DD 215.
  4. Approved resignation memorandum or transition orders establishing a separation date prior to actual date of separation as stipulated on DD 214 or DD 215.
  5. Signed documentation or affidavit from knowledgeable officials from the individual’s chain of command acknowledging separation/deployment, etc.
  6. Revocation of retirement or separation orders

I know it’s a lot to do, but a payment for stop-loss is a benefit you have earned through service if you were held involuntarily.  I received my payment with no issues, and so have many of my Army buddies.  Do yourself a favor and get it done quickly.

Update – December 1, 2010, 3:50 PM Eastern:

I just spoke with the Department of Defense press office about the claim deadline. If you are struggling to get your DD214 together along with supporting documents, just go ahead and get your claim in the system. Once you have it in, it will be handled past the deadline if necessary, so you will be able to provide additional material later. Last minute filers are crushing the system right now, so be patient if you need to call or email.

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8 Comments

  1. William Tensley February 11, 2011 at 22:21

    I have put in my claim already i was wondering if there was a way to track the status of my claim

    • Cindy June 16, 2011 at 10:27

      it will be the same place as you requested…I have been waiting for mine since Dec 2010…good luck and oh yeah I have tried calling dozens of times and no answer!

  2. White Label Casino for free December 21, 2010 at 11:23

    This stop-loss pay is just that PAY. Are their names listed anywhere on the VA Web like the State lists moneys owed their citizens? Pay it or save it. Not like they or their families don’t deserve it. Just consider the fact you owe it and you know who they are…an informal claim!

  3. Ken December 15, 2010 at 21:10

    stop loss whats that i was kept 4monts beyond my enlistmen so that i could testafi in a cort martial that i told theme i would refuse to testafi as i did not see what happened an never got called to 12yrs 4mo 1 day screw them

  4. brenda hayes December 10, 2010 at 16:22

    Alex,

    I don’t consider those personal emails; they are state employees — public organizations–that need this information whether that information is coming from the VA or the DOD. Marketing (dissemination of information needs to be a constant)

    I placed a Virginia Dept Veterans Services Communications Director’s email who is responsible to get information out to Veterans and the other email was someone who also is employed by a Vet organization (also under the VDVS) that works with Veterans.

    I have a big issue with not allowing people who are getting paid to do this work for Veterans and family members to consider their work email
    “personal” and not be able to pass such along.

    It is a problem as it really cuts down on the NEEDED communication to Veterans and their family members.

    I continue to speak to people who know nothing of this VA Blog and this is not a DOD issue; But then again, are we not working in transparent partnership with the DOD, State agencys/organizations, and Vet organizations, and others concerned with Veterans and family members?

    Also, got another captcha code error!!! Pretty simple code!

  5. brenda hayes December 2, 2010 at 21:18

    If the VA knows that the soldiers/Veterans who are owed this stop-loss pay, they could find them or they could get the IRS to find them.

    The VA already knows some of the psychological reasons some may not make a claim. So many of our soldiers/Veterans are so beleagued by their after affects of combat; dealing with the VA is propably the last thing they want to do. But the VA knows this…pretty much the same that the VNVets did; they wanted as little as possible to do with the VA/Governemt.

    I submit the VA/Government owes these soldiers and their FAMILIES their just due. Either find them or put it in “safe account” where it will be when they come out of their combat “fog” or figuring out how to deal or stop denying their PTSD. I wonder how many of these soldiers are still in the Services? Anyone have stats on this?

    I had a Veteran ask me about somethings that was due him many years ago; might have been a Gulf War Vet. I encouraged him to look into it; again, it was pay that was due him.

    Don’t you think it a little strange that if the IRS wants you…they can find you…if the CIA/FBI/Homeland Security wants you…they can find you.

    Well, so can the VA. This stop-loss pay is just that PAY. Are their names listed anywhere on the VA Web like the State lists moneys owed their citizens? Pay it or save it. Not like they or their families don’t deserve it. Just consider the fact you owe it and you know who they are…an informal claim!

    • brenda hayes December 8, 2010 at 15:20

      I understand Congress voted to extend the deadline the other day. What is the VA doing to get the word out? Do you have a list of all the State Veteran Services offices and the Vet organizations. Most of the States and their Vet programs either have blogs or some type of weekly/daily communications sent out. I ask because I never see anything come out of the Virginia Dept of Vet Services directly from ya’ll. (Editor’s note: Deleted personal email addresses-Alex Horton).

      BH

      • Alex Horton December 8, 2010 at 15:47

        Brenda, I removed the personal email addresses from your comment. We don’t want anyone’s contact information listed here without their permission. Everything else from the comment was left intact.

        The Stop Loss Pay Program is a Defense Department initiative, so there is little VA can do in the realm of tracking eligible Veterans down. The best we can do is get the word out. Since before the first deadline, we have kept a link to the Stop Loss info site on the homepage slideshow, so it has been available there for weeks. We also occasionally blast the information on VA’s Facebook and Twitter sites. Our own page also contains the same information. And, as you can see, we also discuss it on this blog. As far as localized outreach, that is a good question that I will forward to our outreach and strategic communications people to see what is being done at VA facilities. Thanks for the suggestion.

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