http://www.optruth.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=hear&htmlId=1394
Is this for real? How can this possibly be going on? What weird legal intricacy am I missing?
Apparently they tried to recover the bonus, but later dropped that effort when it was exposed by the press.:
Good. Thanks. Bureaucratic blindness (“soldier x owes us money”) I can deal with; evil negligence I can’t. Glad this isn’t as bad as it sounds.
Bullshit. I saw the report. It’s worse than it sounds.
Johnson himself had tried to get something done, but nothing happened. Publicity got him off the hook. Thanks to our Liberal Mass Media.
Prove me wrong, pubbies. 
Peace,
mangeorge
Don’t start a political debate here.
Bureaucracy knows no father nor mother.
There is no entity chinzier than a United States disbursing officer or other functionary who thinks he or she can score points in getting back a buck or two for good old Uncle Sam. The only real defense is publicity or a sympathetic member of Congress who can get a personal bill through that body.
mangeorge, the military operates according to a strict chain of command. The poor schlub being billed didn’t have the clout to help himself, the guy who mailed the bill probably didn’t have the wherewithal to judge whether or not that bill was fucking stupid and goddamned insensitive, and nobody is going to force messages up the ladder unless and until something extra-organizational brings the issue to light.
Of course, once an n-star general steps in to fix things, everyone listens. The fact our generals will give press conferences is encouraging, at least to me: It shows that they at least know that they are under the public’s eye, and that they will accept public input on some matters.
Sorry.
Actually, I was kidding, but I can see how it could be taken as an actual challenge.
Posters should read the whole article posted by toadspittle in the OP. The problem is systemic, and reminds some of us of the Vietnam aftermath.