Alabama National Guard Unpaid For January Drills

Alabama National Guard soldiers have not been paid for their January drills, according to Major General Perry Smith. In a statement posted to Facebook, Smith warned Alabama National Guard soldiers have not been paid for their January drills.

The malfunction is due to an error in the federal system that pays National Guard soldiers in all states. The problem delayed pay for some Alabama National Guard soldiers who would have been paid on Jan. 20 and Jan. 27. There is no indication that many of the guardsmen were aware of the missed pay.

In a video posted to Facebook on the National Guard's Facebook page about the problem, Smith said, "If you're a soldier in the Alabama National Guard, you have probably already noticed that your pay for the January drill has not been deposited in your account. "Be assured, getting you paid is our top priority. There's been an issue with the Army National Guard unit pay website since early January.

"This issue is at the National Guard bureau level, and it's affecting thousands of soldiers just like yourself all across this nation." The goal to resolve Guard members pay is February 1. Smith encouraged Guard members to contact nonprofit groups that concentrate on assisting Alabama National Guard members if they're in a financial bind.

"I'm sorry for this delay and I want you to know it has visibility and push from the highest levels, because we owe it to you to get you paid for your service and duty," Smith said.

Al.com reports Jennifer Ardis, spokeswoman for Gov. Robert Bentley, said the National Guard problem is not related to the problems with the state's new financial software.