Stars and Stripes

“In a memorandum issued Monday to the heads of U.S. European, Africa and Pacific commands, Carter said the department would not act on a request by the four-star commanders urging the Defense Department to institute a blanket debt waiver for affected employees. A request by senior overseas commanders that DOD also restore housing benefits, enabling workers to complete overseas assignments under the terms they were first hired, also was rejected.”

“’The Department cannot grant a blanket waiver for the indebtedness that resulted from the erroneous payments of LQA [living quarters allowance] because each request for waiver must be considered on its own merits,’ wrote Carter, backing up DOD’s initial ruling on the matter.”