Any Advice for this mess?

[RIHomebuyer]

My brother, after serving in the army for five years, was recently discharged.  We just pulled his credit report and found a bit of a mess.  Any tips on where to start?  I don't even know where to begin...The DOD thing is for "government repayment" and he doesn't know anything about it.  The m&t bank is for a car reposession.  I'm guessing the rest are credit cards.  Anyway, any advice would be much appreciated.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Status:  Collection account. $18,352 past due as of Apr 2010.		Status Details:  This account is scheduled to continue on record until Dec 2015.
Date Opened: 02/2009 Reported Since: 05/2009 Date of Status: 05/2009 Last Reported: 04/2010	Type: Government Terms: 1 Months Monthly Payment: $0 Responsibility: Individual		Credit Limit/Original Amount: $18,135 High Balance: NA Recent Balance: $18,352 as of 04/2010 Recent Payment: $0
Account History: Collection as of Sep 2009 to Apr 2010, May 2009 to Jul 2009
Balance History: 03/2010   $18,352 02/2010   $18,352 01/2010   $18,352 12/2009   $18,352 11/2009   $18,352 10/2009   $18,352 09/2009   $18,352 09/2009   $18,352 07/2009   $18,337 06/2009   $18,291 05/2009   $18,243
The original amount of this account was $18,135

[RIHomebuyer]

M & T BANK
Status:  Account charged off. $12,276 written off.		Status Details:  This account is scheduled to continue on record until Apr 2014.
Date Opened: 02/2007 Reported Since: 02/2007 Date of Status: 12/2007 Last Reported: 12/2007	Type: Installment Terms: 61 Months Monthly Payment: $0 Responsibility: Individual		Credit Limit/Original Amount: $19,614 High Balance: NA Recent Balance: $0 as of 12/2007 Recent Payment: $0
Account History: Charge Off as of Dec 2007 Repossession as of Oct 2007, Sep 2007 180 days past due as of Nov 2007 60 days past due as of Aug 2007 30 days past due as of Jul 2007

[RIHomebuyer]

OMNI FINANCIAL OF NEVADA
Status:  Paid,Closed.
Date Opened: 11/2006 Reported Since: 02/2007 Date of Status: 08/2007 Last Reported: 08/2007	Type: Installment Terms: 7 Months Monthly Payment: $0 Responsibility: Individual		Credit Limit/Original Amount: $2,359 High Balance: NA Recent Balance: NA Recent Payment: NA
Account History: 30 days past due as of May 2007

[RIHomebuyer]

PIONEERML/GA AT COLUMBUS
Status:  Account charged off. $416 written off.		Status Details:  This account is scheduled to continue on record until Nov 2014.
Date Opened: 02/2007 Reported Since: 04/2007 Date of Status: 08/2008 Last Reported: 08/2008	Type: Installment Terms: 15 Months Monthly Payment: $0 Responsibility: Individual		Credit Limit/Original Amount: $1,117 High Balance: NA Recent Balance: $0 as of 08/2008 Recent Payment: $416
Account History: Charge Off as of Aug 2008 150 days past due as of Jul 2008 120 days past due as of Jun 2008 90 days past due as of May 2008 60 days past due as of Apr 2008
Balance History: 07/2008   $416 06/2008   $406 05/2008   $396
The original amount of this account was $1,117

[RIHomebuyer]

USAA SAVINGS BANK
Status:  Account charged off. $2,353 written off. $615 past due as of May 2010.		Status Details:  This account is scheduled to continue on record until May 2014.
Date Opened: 05/2007 Reported Since: 06/2007 Date of Status: 02/2008 Last Reported: 05/2010	Type: Revolving Terms: NA Monthly Payment: $0 Responsibility: Individual		Credit Limit/Original Amount: $2,353 High Balance: $2,353 Recent Balance: $1,818 as of 05/2010 Recent Payment: $0
Account History: Charge Off as of Jan 2008 to May 2010 180 days past due as of Jan 2008 150 days past due as of Dec 2007 120 days past due as of Nov 2007 90 days past due as of Oct 2007 60 days past due as of Sep 2007 30 days past due as of Aug 2007
Balance History: 04/2010   $1,818 03/2010   $1,818 02/2010   $1,818 01/2010   $1,818 12/2009   $1,818 11/2009   $1,818 10/2009   $1,818 09/2009   $1,918 08/2009   $2,018 07/2009   $2,118 06/2009   $2,353 05/2009   $2,353 04/2009   $2,353 03/2009   $2,353 02/2009   $2,353 01/2009   $2,353 12/2008   $2,353 11/2008   $2,353 10/2008   $2,353 09/2008   $2,353 08/2008   $2,353 07/2008   $2,353 06/2008   $2,353 05/2008   $2,353
Between May 2008 and Apr 2010, your credit limit/high balance was $2,353

[llecs]

First off, make sure he doesn't do anything if this is inside SOL or if he doesn't have the $$$ to PIF. If he does, and if inside SOL (looks like they easily could be), he could get sued and that'll just make things worse.

DoD - I've never had the pleasure of serving, but if he doesn't know, he probably should stay mum on it until he has the opportunity to chip away at it. Have him think back to any enlistment bonuses that had to be repaid for any reason or any educational costs that had to be repaid. If he has the $$$ to throw chunks at it, then it wouldn't hurt to call. I don't know specifics, but I'm sure they could get their money if they wanted it via garnishments, income tax refunds, etc.

M&T - If he has the $$$ to PIF if he had to or if SOL expired (not likely), then send a PFD. Otherwise wait it out. BTW, I had a Chexsystems issue through a prev. bank that M&T gobbled up. I saw down recently with M&T and talked about having that Chexsystems entry removed and they were very open to doing so. That's an indicator to me that maybe they are open to PFDs too.

Omni Financial - I'd do nothing if the 30 day was from 2007. He probably wouldn't see any score change from back when and it is one of his older TLs. If they opted to remove the TL instead of the late, then he could see a score drop due to the change in AAoA.

PioneerML - if he has the $$$ to PIF or if SOL expired, then send a PFD.

USAA - if he has the $$$ to PIF or if SOL expired, then send a PFD.

[guiness56]

The DOD repayment is most likely for an enlistment/reenlistment bonus recieved.  If he failed to stay in, whether his fault or not, the terms of the bonus were not met and they are recouping it.

This is one of those debts that will not go away easily, 

[RIHomebuyer]

So, it is not advised to call the DOD and ask them what they are charging him for?  I don't want him to get sued, but it doesn't make much sense that they would discharge him and then send him a bill after 5 years of service.  He was an infantryman and in the line of fire every day for several years.  It could be an enlistment bonus; he received a medical discharge after two tours in Iraq, but after his four year comittment was over.  He was only still in because he was on a stop lost.  Does anyone have any military knowledge?

[guiness56]

I am in the military. 

Since I do not know what the bill is for I can only speculate.  The way it works is you enlist/reenlist and can sometimes get a bonus.  You do not fulfill the terms of the bonus and you have to pay it back.  Everyone who enlists in the military has an 8 year obligation.  How it is served can be done several ways.  Your job and whether or not you are in the line of fire has nothing to do with that. 

Stop Loss is the involuntary extension of a service member's active duty service under the enlistment contract in order to retain them beyond their initial end of term of service (ETS) date and up to their contractually agreed end of obligated service (EOS).

I highly advise contacting the DOD to find out what the bill is for.   He would not necessarily have to be sued.  They could offset his income tax, take it out of retirement pay (though that is not the case here).