WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Members of the National Guard in the US state of California were paid excessive bonuses at the height of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and were ordered to repay those bonuses earlier this month after an audit discovered the overpayments.
"That is why I will work together with the Department of Defense and my colleagues in the Senate to explore all options available to hold those responsible for this unacceptable situation accountable and to ensure this never happens again," McCain stated on Wednesday.
McCain called a Defense Department decision to suspend collection of the payments "a long overdue first step."
However, he added that thousands of service members and their families, whose lives have been disrupted through no fault of their own, are still waiting for certainty that the problem will be fixed.
The Defense Department said earlier on Wednesday that about 2,000 soldiers are affected and that it will set up a system to review each case before any efforts to collect money resume.
