• By Mary Ann Barton

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11th) announced Tuesday that the Department of Defense has extended the deadline for veterans and service members to apply for retroactive "stop loss pay" to Oct. 21.

“The debt we owe to our veterans is impossible to pay but as a nation we must do our best to try,” Connolly said in a news release distributed Tuesday. “These brave men and women never wavered when we called on them to extend their service. This extension is critically important to ensure that every service member owed back pay is compensated.”

Members of the military, along with their beneficiaries, whose service was involuntarily extended under stop loss between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2009, are eligible for the retroactive payments. The pay provides $500 for each month or partial month served in "stop loss" status.

To receive the benefits, veterans must submit a claim to the military branch in which they served by Oct. 21, 2012. Eligible members should visit their specific service's Web site and submit their application online; online submission provides a claim number, allows for automated status updates and provides a means for the military service to contact the applicant.

More information about the payments, including how to apply, is available atwww.defense.gov/stoploss. Connolly’s office is available to help apply for these benefits. His office can be reached at 703-256-3071.

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