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Main Page Soldier Denied Benefits After Serving In Kuwait
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Posted by: kwflatbed

Personnel Eligible For $1,000 Bonus

BOSTON -- The Pentagon considers Kuwait a part of the war zone, but Massachusetts apparently does not.

A Special Forces soldier from New Bedford has been denied a $1,000 bonus that goes to Bay State residents who have served in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, because he spent all his time in Kuwait.

"It's a political sleight of hand," Army Sgt. 1st Class Martin Novia, 44, told the Boston Herald. "They wanted to tout this to the public, but when it comes time to pay, they do everything they can not to."

Gov. Mitt Romney signed the so-called "Welcome Home" law last Veterans Day.

Military personnel are eligible for the $1,000 bonus if they served "in the Afghanistan or Iraq area" as defined by "proper federal authority." Under the terms of the law, state residents who served domestically or overseas since Sept. 11 outside of a war zone are eligible for a payment of $500.

Kuwait is considered part of the Iraq war theater, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command said, adding that troops stationed in Kuwait also qualify for combat pay.

But the state started to back off last month after state Treasurer Tim Cahill called a meeting of state officials over the $3.2 million bonus program, which he administers.

"At this meeting it was agreed that they needed to get a good definition for this," Cahill spokeswoman Allison Mitchell said.

For now, only those people who were stationed within the borders or Iraq or Afghanistan, or who flew missions over either nation, or who served aboard ships within 12 nautical miles of the Iraq coast, are eligible for the bonus, Mitchell said.

Novia was stationed at Camp Doha north of Kuwait City with the 19th Special Forces Group in 2002.

State Sen. Stephen Brewer, D-Barre, co-chairman of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Veterans Affairs, said he will look deeper into Novia's case.

"We will straighten this out," Brewer said. "I'm committed to trying to make sure this gentleman and others in his situation receive justice."

State Rep. Anthony Verga, D-Gloucester, the committee's other co-chairman, isn't so forgiving. Verga, the bill's author, said he never intended troops stationed in Kuwait to qualify for the bonus and giving them the money could prove too expensive.

"Twenty-three thousand people are eligible," he said. "That's not peanuts."

Novia, meanwhile, refuses to allow political word play minimize his sacrifice.

"I don't gauge my service to my country by what some political hack says or doesn't say," he said.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted by: KozmoKramer

Give the guy his grand.
He's done a lot more for the country and Commonwealth than you friggin fat assed bureaucrats have.

Posted by: NBC515

I would be willing to bet that you flew over Iraq in order to get to Kuwait. Right there is a mission flown over Iraq that covers this guy.

Posted by: Wiggum_1

So the Mass. State treasurer defines a combat zone ?

C'mon, this guy was with the Special Forces, does Cahill or these other nimrods really think he spent all his time in Kuwait ?

Posted by: SinePari

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwflatbed

Military personnel are eligible for the $1,000 bonus if they served "in the Afghanistan or Iraq area" as defined by "proper federal authority."

Kuwait is considered part of the Iraq war theater, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command said, adding that troops stationed in Kuwait also qualify for combat pay.

State Rep. Anthony Verga, D-Gloucester, the committee's other co-chairman, isn't so forgiving. Verga, the bill's author, said he never intended troops stationed in Kuwait to qualify for the bonus and giving them the money could prove too expensive.

I guess a STATE REP supercedes PROPER FEDERAL AUTHORITY.

Posted by: southshoretrooper

I know this guy........"Marty"......he's a green beret......he used to be a New Bedford Police Officer. He don't take no shit. In fact he's had a long history of sticking his thumb in the eye of asshole politicians................he was the cop who investigated Mass state rep George Rogers for showing gay porn to a kid......................they told him to "let it go", then he walked up to the rep's door step and threw the cuffs on him...the rep has not seen office since....LOL

He does have a nerve arguing for the G-note though.................he quit the PD after 9/11 and now commutes back and forth to afghanisten every month like you and I commute to work.............probably rigging afghan elections as a contractor for the US government at 30 grand a month ! He's the type.

Believe me he's not in it for the grand.................he's probably just boored between his trips to the middle east.

Posted by: kwflatbed

I also know Marty, he worked for me in the early 1980s.

At that time he also worked for the PSD as an undercover officer
in drug enforcement with the drug task force. This was before NBPD.
His carrier has had many ups and downs but he has always given his
all in everything that he has done.

Posted by: SinePari

They did a piece about this on Fox 25 at 10pm last night. Looks like Rep Verga is taking all the heat for Cahill on this one. What a pal

Posted by: southshoretrooper

Verga ?.................just another loudmouth. Cahill, just another political wimp, hiding behind others. The polticians find enough money when they want to fund in-state tuition for illegal aliens.................this state sucks..............after I'm done screwing the commonwealth out of $1800 per week we're moving to Tax and Alien free New Hampshire...........at least you don't have to look at the riff raff we lock up every night..................Mass, home to unwed mothers, illegal aliens ,gay marriage, Teddy Kennedy and Cahill.......keep it

They should send the grand to all who got deployed................and take it out of the reps salary

Posted by: southshoretrooper

Risk knows no borders
By Boston Herald editorial staff
Thursday, April 13, 2006 - Updated: 12:56 AM EST

When is a war zone not a war zone? Apparently, when you’re a soldier, sailor or Marine from Massachusetts and you draw a wartime assignment in Kuwait.
Sgt. 1st Class Martin Novia, a Special Forces soldier from New Bedford, discovered that his service is apparently not quite as valuable as that of his comrades who served on Iraqi or Afghan soil, because Novia served over the border in Kuwait. He was denied a $1,000 state bonus meant to honor the service of those fighting the war on terror.
It would be one thing if troops serving in Kuwait were overlooked. But their exclusion was apparently intentional. Rep. Anthony Verga, who helped author the “Welcome Home” bill, said he never intended for troops stationed in Kuwait to qualify for the bonus. “Twenty-three thousand people are eligible. That’s not peanuts,” Verga said.
No, it isn’t. But the Legislature and Gov. Mitt Romney made a commitment to honor the service and sacrifice of troops serving in the war on terror. Drawing up combat boundaries seems slightly above their pay grade.
Sen. Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) has pledged to straighten out the confusion. That’s good. Because to deny this tribute to troops who serve in Kuwait betrays a profound misunderstanding of their critical role in the war.
The Pentagon considers Kuwait part of the Iraq war theater. Troops serving there earn combat pay. What more does anyone need to know?

Posted by: SinePari

Quote:

Originally Posted by southshoretrooper

Rep. Anthony Verga, who helped author the “Welcome Home” bill, said he never intended for troops stationed in Kuwait to qualify for the bonus. “Twenty-three thousand people are eligible. That’s not peanuts,” Verga said.

Should've thought of that BEFORE you signed the bill into law, you jack ass. Who voted for this clown? Now you gotta shit $23M for some deserving GIs.

Posted by: USNMA

So then the guys and girls that load the ordnance onto the jets, fuel the jets, and repair the jets are not eligible because the carrier is not within 12 nautical miles of Iraq? Seems to me they are just as important to the mission as the officer piloting the jet. The Persian Gulf is a tax free combat pay zone, 12 miles or not.

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