President Obama has extended the deadline to claim retroactive stop loss payments until Dec. 3. Active and retired airmen as well as former members of the National Guard or reserve may be eligible for the payments if they served in Operation Enduring Freedom from Oct. 2, 2001, to Jan. 31, 2003, or Operation Iraqi Freedom from May 2, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2003, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials at Randolph AFB, Tex. Obama signed a resolution on Sept. 30 extending the application deadline, which was originally set to expire on Oct. 21. If approved, airmen could be eligible for up to $500 in retroactive special pay for each month that they were affected by the stop loss. Those who accepted a selective re-enlistment bonus subsequent to being affected by stop loss are not eligible for the retroactive pay. (Randolph report by Daniel P. Elkins)
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
