American soldiers, many of whom survived multiple combat tours, are being forced into bankruptcy by the Pentagon. Yes, you read that correctly. The Pentagon is forcing those who fought and bled for us in Iraq and Afghanistan into bankruptcy.

Nearly 10,000 soldiers, many of whom served multiple combat tours, have been ordered to repay large enlistment bonuses — and slapped with interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens if they refuse — after audits revealed widespread overpayments by the California Guard at the height of the wars last decade.

Can you imagine? They can’t. The financial hardships the Pentagon is imposing upon our soldiers is infuriating! This is a problem that became public in 2013 and has now gotten worse.

There was an outcry then, but evidently it wasn’t loud enough since the Pentagon, the Administration, or California delegation have stepped up to help. Will the Pentagon forgive the mistake, go after the REAL culprits in this mess instead of our soldiers and move on? NO.

Below are stories of a few of the 10,00+ soldiers affected by the Pentagon’s mess.

Robert D’Andrea: Served in Iraq and retired as a Major. Now he is a financial crimes investigator with the Santa Monica PD. He was ordered to return the $20,000 bonus because auditors couldn’t find the contract he signed. He has gone through multiple appeals to no avail.

“Everything takes months of work, and there is no way to get your day in court,” he said. “Some benefit of the doubt has to be given to the soldier.”

Susan Haley: Served for 26 years and retired as an Army Master Sergeant. Took an enlistment bonus which added 6 years to her length of service. Her husband served as did her oldest boy, a medic who lost his leg in Afghanistan during combat. Now she sends the Pentagon $650 a MONTH to repay the $20,500 enlistment bonus and fears they will lose their home if they miss even one payment.

Robert Richmond: Sgt First Class (ret) was told that he qualified for a $15,000 bonus as a special forces soldier.

In 2007, his special forces company was sent to the Iraqi town of Hillah, 60 miles south of Baghdad in an area known as the “Triangle of Death” because of the intense fighting.

Richmond conducted hundreds of missions against insurgents over the next year. In one, a roadside bomb exploded by his vehicle, knocking him out and leaving him with permanent back and brain injuries.

He was stunned to receive a letter from California Guard headquarters in 2014 telling him to repay the $15,000 and warning he faced “debt collection action” if he failed to comply.

Their reason for demanding the bonus repayment? 20 years as a career soldier somehow made him ineligible!

Bryan Strother: He was informed that he forfeited his $25,010.32 bonus and student loan payments because he took the money when he was serving as a radio operator. But during deployment he was reassigned. So therefore the Pentagon in all its “wisdom” is demanding their money back!

Question. How many soldiers do our readers know who’ve been reassigned to different slots before, during, or after deployments? *Raises hand. I do! Heck I know a few guys who went from tankers to infantrymen! But evidently the Pentagon can’t see the forest for the trees and is focused on the money, not our soldiers.

Its not just the California National Guard. In fact, Guard soldiers across all 50 states could or may be facing the same thing. Unfortunately, since this debacle started back in 2013, many soldiers have decided that this mess, NOT OF THEIR MAKING, is just too much to handle. They sell their homes, their cars, and go into bankruptcy to get out from under a debt that is not their own.

Absolutely disgusted seeing the DOD demand repayment of bonuses to veterans 10 years later. https://t.co/mqijk866A4

— Maximilian Uriarte (@TLCplMax) October 22, 2016

It is disgusting! This mess is the Pentagon’s mistake! Period! It is one the Pentagon and the Administration should rectify ASAP.

These men and women, these Americans went to war multiple times. They fought, they bled, they suffered, and they saw friends die. They absolutely should NOT be financially penalized for stepping up to continue serving. It was the Pentagon who decided to offer the enlistment bonuses. It is the Pentagon who is to blame for not managing it properly. Not our soldiers.