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Posted on Sun, Oct. 27, 2002

Troops get billed for equipment wear
Lowered tab doesn't end hard feelings
BY ESTES THOMPSON
Associated Press


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 the
104-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.