Pay issue concerns for some Oklahoma National Guard members

Some Oklahoma National Guardsmen want to know why they haven't been paid all the wages Congress approved for active-duty soldiers. <br/><br/>National Guard Specialist Bryan Akins left his wife and

Monday, May 24th 2004, 5:34 am

By: News On 6

Some Oklahoma National Guardsmen want to know why they haven't been paid all the wages Congress approved for active-duty soldiers.

National Guard Specialist Bryan Akins left his wife and son in Stillwater to serve at Fort Polk, Louisiana. During his year long deployment, Bryan says he and 140 other soldiers received base pay.

He says he did not get a $28 a day per diem for food and living expenses. "We're not complaining about getting deployed at all. Every one of us signed up for that. What the problems is, we got down there and we're supposed to get this per diem and these families didn't. Now you got people who are late on their mortgage!"

The News on 6 tried to contact officials at Fort Polk, but no one has returned our calls.

US Senator Jim Inhofe and Congressman Frank Lucas say they're investigating the matter.