Yow! Here's the story. My quick research seems to confirm that the military does have this sort of policy, on the theory that the bonus is an advance payment for a full term of service and the soldier isn't entitled to keep it unless he completes the full term -- even when the failure to complete the term is a result of a combat wound.

I should note, since this is a legal blog, that the military may well have a right under the terms of the enlistment contract to take back the bonus. It just strikes me as a scuzzy thing to do. Thanks to Victor Steinbok for the pointer.

A press release from Sen. John Thune's office reports that the policy I discussed and faulted here last month may be about to change:

[The just-enacted] S.2400, the Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act ... would end the policy of the military to demand combat-wounded service personnel give back a portion of the enlistment bonuses they receive because they are unable to serve out their commitments due to their combat-related injury....

Current Department of Defense policy states that service personnel who have been medically discharged due to a wound sustained in combat have not fulfilled their full term of service, and therefore must return a portion of the bonus they received when they enlisted. The Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act would end this ... and require that bonuses be paid in full when service personnel are disabled in combat. In addition, the bill would require the Secretary of Defense to identify the soldiers to be paid retroactively, and determine the amounts to be paid to each soldier through a financial audit.

Sen. Thune was a cosponsor of the bill. Sen. Thune's office reports that a House version of the bill is likely to be passed tonight.