Why do former members of the National Guard have to pay back the sign-up bonuses they received ten years ago?

From what I read some people received the bonus erroneously or more money than what they should have or did not fulfill their entire enlistment commitment for which they were paid their bonus. This is further complicated by the fact that some of this program was mismanaged by states like California which in part financially subsidizes their Guard program just as every state does for their Guard program and those units that reside in its borders. A lot of these people knew they received more money than they should have or were told that they would have to pay a portion of it back if they ended their enlistment early and if they out-processed properly. However some probably did not out-process properly and those that knew they were paid more than they should spent it and now DoD wants it back. Those that obtained it erroneously is really just outright theft and now that the lid has been blown the DoD has started looking for some of these people and taking them to court garnishing their wages and threatening repossession of their assets. Its easy enough to prove for those that obtained it legally and who fulfilled the terms of their contract for which the bonus was paid as to why they don't have to pay it back. For those that can't then its not really so much different than if you left your civilian employer with some equipment or maybe after they paid for your schooling and yet you did not fulfill the terms of your employment contract for that. There is going to be one heck of a court battle because those that did fulfill their enlistment terms and paid the proper amount are being lumped in with those others and that is wrong but will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Because NG recruiters manipulated the system to get these soldiers bonuses.

I do not agree that the Government should go back and recover this money. Every NG soldier could then have a case to sue the US Government for fraud as the recruiters/soldiers who did this were acting as agents of the US Government.

Its considered fraud and the government never forgets, I knew a girl who defrauded the government on a travel voucher in the 1990's, she got out, and lived her life. 20 years later the IRS garnished her tax refund for several years to get its money back. When dealing with the MILITARY, the government will always seek repayment. Welfare fraud not so much.

Seems the CA Guard went way beyond what the money was intended for. READ the LA Times article.

Before I decided to go active duty I was actually gonna become a Guardsman but luckily recruiters talked me out of it. That National Guards stuff sounds way too good to be true.

can't say that I understand it either. and I'd probably refuse if I'd done the service as asked for. It's a matter of, imho, contract law. California asked, the Veterans did as asked, and were paid. end of story. the servicemen and women are not responsible for whether or not CA actually had the power to spend that money -- that's CA's problem.

It's California a Communist state nothing else needs to be said.

Gov

Probably because the failed to meet the terms of the bonus requirements.

One gigantic Clusterf^ck.