Vet News: File Claims for Gear Reimbursement by Oct. 3

Soldiers who purchased their own body armor and other safety equipment for the combat zone have until Oct. 3 to file claims for reimbursement with the Army, according to a recent Army press release.

The Army began reimbursing soldiers in November for private purchases of protective body armor, combat helmets, ballistic eye protection, hydration systems, summer weight gloves, and knee and elbow pads, said Maj. Paul Cucuzzella, U.S. Army Claims Service.

“A provision of the 2005 Defense Authorization Act allows for the reimbursement if service members weren’t issued equivalent equipment prior to deployment,” he said in the release.

To qualify for reimbursement, soldiers had to have purchased such items between Sept. 11, 2001, and April 1, 2006, in anticipation of or during the service member’s deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, the release stated.

Claims should be filed with the soldier’s current unit. Former soldiers should mail their claims to the U.S. Army Claims Service at Fort Meade, Md., postmarked no later than Oct. 3. For more information on the reimbursement program – including qualifying details, instructions on how and where to file a claim, and a copy of the requisite claims form – go to www.jagcnet.army.mil. Follow the link to the “Protective Gear Reimbursement Program.”

Soldiers also may contact Cucuzzella by e-mail or call (301) 677-7009, ext. 431.

SOURCE: Army News