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Edwards To Question Top Army Officials About Stingy Military Charity
Central Texas Congressman Chet Edwards said Monday evening he plans to ask top Army officials some questions Tuesday about how the biggest charity within the U.S. military is handling its money.
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3 Comments 
WASHINGTON (February 23, 2009)—Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, said Monday evening he plans to ask some questions about how the biggest charity within the U.S. military is handling its money when he hosts the House Army Caucus breakfast Tuesday morning.
“I intend to ask the Army Chief of Staff, General Casey, and Army Secretary Geren about this charity,” Edwards said.
“If the Army Emergency Relief funds are not being properly used to help our troops, the U.S. Army and Congress should immediately take corrective action,” he said.
Veterans advocates are venting anger and frustration about the Army Emergency Relief, which The Associated Press reported, has been packing more money into reserves than it has spent on aid during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
More than 90 percent of AER's aid was given as no-interest loans, not outright grants.
Meanwhile, Amy Fairweather of the Iraq Veteran Project says nonprofits that help the military like hers are pounding the pavement every day in tough economic times.
In written comments Monday, AER said it has been giving generously.
Retired Col. Andrew H. Cohen, the charity's national treasurer, says the charity's expenses fail to provide a complete picture of its performance.
At a news conference Monday outside El Paso, Col. Ed Manning, commander of Fort Bliss, said that the charity works well and he was "just kind of surprised that there'd be a question about the money."
Paul Sullivan of Veterans for Common Sense says AER should rework its policies to help more veterans.
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Latest Comments
AER loans are a joke. First you have to prove you need one (ok I get that), then you have to basically allow your commanders to tell you how stupid you are for not being able to handle your finances..which isnt always true, as in our case, see the Command Finance Specialist and go to classes....Then pay it back over a 3 month period. Many soldiers I knew we very reluctant to request an AER loan, even in DIRE emergencies.
havign been refused assistance through AER because we were NOT in enough debt. Ssee we should have had enough for a new transmission just laying around since we are not all maxed out on credit cards instead we do the right thing and pay all our bills so we cannto get aid since we then have no real "money problems"! we stopped supporting AER after that. With the amount of money GIVEN by donation to this program....really we should be given grants NOT loans! and we should not be giving it to people with chronic patterns of stupidity with their money.
Representative Edwards; please do the Soldiers of the US Army a favor and have this program terminated, a new program needs to be created that takes care of the soldier and not subject them to extortion, we have been coerced to give to AER by our commands for the good of our comrades, and when we need the assistance they were established for, we are forced to give back to them again, this is like an insurance program with no deductible, you pay for it twice. I like many that have been refused support from them when there is a valid family emergency have stopped donating to AER and giving our support to other worthy organizations that support both Soldiers and Veterans that have a valid need fro assistance.
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