The nation's largest professional association representing federal law enforcement officers is urging President Obama to move to ensure benefits are paid to the family of an Army CID special agent killed in Afghanistan over the weekend.
The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association issued a press release Wednesday appealing to the President to take executive action for Sgt. Joseph Peters' family amid the government shutdown that has delayed the payment of burial and funeral expenses.
Peters was among four soldiers killed in an attack on Sunday when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device in the Kandahar Province.
The 24-year-old Springfield, Mo. native was assigned to the 286th Military Police Detachment, 5th Military Police Battalion in Vicenza, Italy. He was the first special agent with the Army's Criminal Investigation Division to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense program that has been put on hold includes a $100,000 death gratuity, unpaid income due to a soldier's family and reimbursement for burial expenses.
"Mr. President, yes, you warned Congress in advance, and yes, they are responsible for continuing the government shut-down. But please take the higher ground and initiate executive action to pay for all related expenses for the funeral arrangements of our fallen hero, Special Agent Joseph Peters, and all our fallen military heroes," FLEOA National President Jon Adler said in a statement.
"The government is responsible for all expenses and payments on behalf of our fallen heroes who protect life and property; not just their salaries. There is no greater priority for our government."
FLEOA is the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association that exclusively represents over 26,000 federal law enforcement officers from over 65 agencies.
