Written by Joshua Patton

Many people had never even heard of “stop-loss” before they found themselves the victims of it.  It was created by Congress after the Vietnam war, but was not employed on a large scale until the first Gulf War.  Since then it has been used often, but it has always remained one of those things in the military like Ham Slice MRE’s and the taste of water from a canteen.  It is what’s provided to us, no one likes it, but we deal with it anyway.  However, during the 2004 Presidential election, Senator Kerry raised the issue of the stop-loss policy being a “backdoor draft.” 

Soldiers standing on tarmacs in Iraq and Afghanistan receiving extension orders rather than boarding passes for home said, “Tell us about it.”   

It was even worse for those back in the States, imprisoned by the military for what could be an indefinite time.  Yet, this generation of veterans seems to win some of the victories sooner than our brothers from previous wars.  While every legal challenge to the stop-loss policy failed, Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for a reduced usage of the policy as one of his first official acts.  Since then a system was designed that allows the soldiers kept under stop-loss to do so voluntarily and according to USA Today that stop-loss was being employed some 43% less than it had been before Gates’s time. 

The members and activists in the myriad of Veterans’ Organizations that are out there all know that there is no shortage of issues facing the veteran community.  However the more pragmatic choose the battles they can win, develop a strategy, and effect real change in Washington.  One of the victories that may have been underreported was that Congress put forth legislation to provide to soldiers who had been held under stop-loss $500 per month for every month extended. 

However, this was a limited time offer.  As the original expiration date of October 1 grew ever closer with less than half the eligible service members claiming the benefit, Minnesota Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester successfully had the date extended from 1 October to December 3 of this year.  While it is not an incredibly long extension, it does allow a little more time for the word to creep to the ears of eligible veterans who have not yet heard about it.

If I had to speculate, I would bet that many of the people who are eligible, but not applying are skeptical that the benefit is real and may be having a hard time knowing where to begin applying.  For example, like many other military benefit contact numbers, the phone number 1-877-736-5554 did not connect me with a human being after four attempts, but – in an improvement to some other military benefit phone numbers – you have the option to leave a message rather than just being told unceremoniously to call back.  The White House has come out to quell rumors that this was somehow a scam, and are given points for being earnest but ultimately missing the point. 

Below you will find the list of documents needed to apply for this.  If you are in doubt about whether or not you are eligible you have nothing to lose by applying. 

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0710_stoploss/

Source Documents:

-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.

-Personnel record or enlistment or reenlistment document recording original expiration of service date.

-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.

-Approved resignation memorandum or transition orders establishing a separation date prior to actual date of separation as stipulated on DD 214 or DD 215.

-Signed documentation or affidavit from knowledgeable officials from the individual’s chain of command acknowledging separation/deployment, etc.

-Revocation of retirement or separation orders.