National Guard Red Bulls to get bonuses by March 19

U.S. Rep. John Kline says the Office of the Secretary of Defense has notified him that about 2,500 members of the Minnesota National Guard will get overdue bonus pay by March 19.

Members of Minnesota's congressional delegation learned this week that the Pentagon intended to close a loophole that has denied bonuses for guard members who served extra-long deployments that started prior to 2007.

The biggest single group denied bonuses hail from the Minnesota Guard's Red Bull 34th Infantry Division, who started a 22-month deployment in 2005 that included 16 months in Iraq.

Kline, a Minnesota Republican, says Guard members still in the service will get their pay via electronic remittance between March 15 and 19. Those who've left will get a check during the same period.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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