RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas: Eligible Airmen, veterans and their beneficiaries now have until Dec. 3 to apply for retroactive stop loss special pay following an extension in the continuing resolution signed by the president Sept. 30.
The new Dec. 3 deadline extends the original Oct. 21 cutoff for applications and allows eligible recipients more time to apply for the benefit.
Airmen eligible for the benefit include active, retired and former members as well as reserve and guard component members who served on active duty while their enlistment or period of obligated service was involuntarily extended, or whose eligibility for separation or retirement was suspended as a result of stop loss. Legally designated beneficiaries for Airmen affected may also apply.
To file a claim, eligible individuals may download a stop loss claim application at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss. Applicants who were serving in the Reserve or Guard at the time of stop loss may apply by visiting the Air Reserve Personnel Center website at https://arpc.afrc.af.mil/vPC-GR.
Due to the benefit period coming to a close this year, officials at Air Force Personnel Center here have seen and influx of applications, which has lengthened the processing period to eight to 10 weeks from the date an application is received. After processing, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service may require an additional 21 days for processing the payment.
Those found to be eligible are entitled to receive $500 in retroactive special pay for each month they were affected by stop loss. Those who accepted a selective re-enlistment bonus subsequent to being affected by stop loss are not eligible for the special pay.
More than 3,700 claims by Airmen have been approved for retroactive stop loss special pay since officials here began accepting claims in September 2009.
Air Force officials used stop loss for Operation Enduring Freedom from Oct. 2, 2001, through Jan. 31, 2003, and Operation Iraqi Freedom from May 2 through Dec. 31, 2003. Individuals who were deployed during either operation may be eligible beyond the inclusive dates depending on their Air Force specialty and deployment return date.
For more information on program eligibility and claims instructions, call the Total Force Service Center at (800) 525-0102.
