U.S. army soldiers repaid for body armor

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Army soldiers have until Oct. 3 to file reimbursement claims for private purchases of protective and safety equipment, including body armor.

Army News Service reported Aug. 31 that U.S. Army Claims Service Major Paul Cucuzzella told journalists: "A provision of the 2005 Defense Authorization Act allows for the reimbursement if service members weren't issued equivalent equipment prior to deployment in Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom."

According to Cucuzzella, in November 2005 the U.S. Army began reimbursing deployed soldiers for individual purchases of protective items such as body armor, helmets, eye protective gear, hydration systems, lightweight summer weight gloves and protective knee and elbow pads.

Cucuzzella said that purchases of the above items qualify for repayment if they were made between Sept. 11, 2001, when the United States was attacked, and April 1, 2006. A secondary requirement is that the items were purchased in anticipation of or during the purchaser's subsequent deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.

According to Cucuzzella, soldiers should file their claims for reimbursement with their current unit, while discharged soldiers should mail their claims to the U.S. Army Claims Service at Fort Meade, Md., with a postmark on or predating Oct. 3.