WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is encouraging service members whose tours in Iraq or Afghanistan were involuntarily extended or who weren't allowed to retire as planned to meet an Oct. 21 deadline to apply for special retroactive pay. Obama signed a bill last year making anyone whose service between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2009 was extended under what's known as "stop loss" eligible for $500 a month in retroactive pay for every month their service was extended.
The bill set aside $534 million for 185,000 service members, but many have yet to apply.
The White House released a video Wednesday in which Obama urges them to beat the deadline. Says Obama: "As your commander in chief, I'm here to tell you that this is no gimmick or trick."
