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If you kill people for Uncle Sam you don't have to pay your cell phone bill?
I recall reading about a whole slew of other laws that allow members of Uncle Sam's military force to get out of the bills they agreed to pay before joining the military. Please tell me what part of the Constitution allows members of the Federal Government to be dead beats and get out of paying their bills? AT&T sounds retreat on cellphone charges during Army basic training Jon Yates What's Your Problem? May 8, 2011 Cellphones aren't allowed during basic training at the U.S. Army Training Center at Fort Jackson, S.C. So when Nathaniel Jungheim, of Chicago, got his orders to report to duty on May 17, he immediately called his provider, AT&T. The Wicker Park resident asked if he could suspend his phone service during the 10 weeks of training. He explained that he would be serving his country, and that he would not have access to his phone. He wasn't exactly thrilled at the response. "They informed me that they have recently changed how they handle military accounts and said I would have to pay $10 a month plus taxes to keep my account in suspension," he said. Jungheim said he complained and was told he would either have to pay the monthly fee or $275 to terminate his contract. "I asked to speak to a supervisor but was told they would say the same thing," Jungheim said. Unable to make any headway, the 29-year-old emailed What's Your Problem? He said the money wasn't the issue. Because he's entering the Army National Guard as a specialist, he will be compensated at a higher pay grade than many of the enlisted. Still, the principle of the matter irked him. "I'm just thinking about other enlisted guys who can't afford $10 a month," he said. "I'm just disgusted. It seems like profiteering." Jungheim, who joined the National Guard in part to help pay off student loans, said he tried to be pleasant when talking to AT&T on the phone. Still, he thinks paying monthly fees while he's serving are unfair. "I believe it is outrageous to charge brave men and women who choose to go into the military any money while AT&T provides no service in return," he said. The Problem Solver called Brooke Vane, a spokeswoman for AT&T, and described Jungheim's situation. Vane emailed Thursday to say AT&T adheres to the federal Service Member Civil Relief Act, which provides guidelines for how companies deal with those who are called to duty. Vane instructed Jungheim to call AT&T's customer care phone number again and go through the process of suspending service. "Once he meets the requirements, including providing us with his orders, as required by law, we can process this request," Vane said. Thursday evening, Jungheim called AT&T and spoke to a representative. "I faxed over my deployment orders … so I should be a go," he said. He will not be charged the $10 a month. "Maybe when I was speaking to them (the first time), there was a misunderstanding. I'm not sure," Jungheim said. "I'm feeling pretty good." facebook.com/chitribproblem Follow @WYP_Tribune on Twitter |