President Obama and Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered the Pentagon to cease efforts to recoup enlistment bonuses and tuition assistance from roughly 2,000 California National Guard members. The troops had received the payments around a decade ago, when the state was trying to meet accession, re-enlistment, and strength quotas at the height of combat operations in Iraq. The Defense Department initially had determined that the payments were handed out erroneously. Many of those affected were facing extreme financial hardship, until Carter issued an Oct. 26 directive that suspended collection efforts by the Defense Finance and Accounting Office (DFAS). “We will provide for a process that puts as little burden as possible on any soldier who received an improper payment through no fault of his or her own. At the same time, it will respect our important obligation to the taxpayer,” Carter said.