Amata Sends Letter to Secretary of Defense Austin Urging Support for Lt. Ridge Alkonis

Highlights Senator Lee’s Strong Statement Calling for Care for His Family

Washington, D.C. –Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amatais urging the U.S. Department of Defense to fully support Navy Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis and his family. On Friday, she sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and highlighted strong remarks by Senator Lee of Utah on the Senate floor Thursday, urging that the DOD excuse his absence as unavoidable in line with the applicable U.S. statute, to continue necessary pay and benefits to his wife and children in this time. 

“I bring to your attention again the matter of Lt. Ridge Alkonis,” she said in her letter to Defense Secretary Austin, “and want to align myself with the heartfelt statement Senator Mike Lee made yesterday on the Senate floor.” Congresswoman Amata has been committed to the facts of this case since the beginning, including a letter to Secretary Austin in October of 2021 requesting support for the Lieutenant, speaking on the House floor this July, and now this urgent call to preserve the family’s finances.

Senator Lee emphasized the last phrase of the following U.S. statute: A member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who is absent without leave or over leave, forfeits all pay and allowances for the period of that absence, unless it is excused as unavoidable.

“That is exactly what the Department of Defense should do right now, is excuse as unavoidable Lieutenant Alkonis's absence,” said Senator Lee. “It seems to me that if ever there were an instance perfectly tailored for this statute, if ever there were an absence that needed to be excused as unavoidable, it is that of Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis…”

Aumua Amata thanks Senator Lee for supporting this U.S. Navy family in their time of distress, and appreciates the fact that Senator Lee’s remarks brought national level reporting and attention to the matter, such the focus of the Hugh Hewitt Show reaching a large nationwide audience.

Senator Lee called the decision an obvious one, and had this to say: “This is not a way to treat those who stand in harm's way so that we can live and be safe and be free. This isn't a way to treat anyone. None of us would treat our employees that way. I don't know anyone who would. On top of everything else, it is not just the fact that they have now stated they are going to deny it; it is that they have waited so long to do so and that they still haven't had the decency to say so in public. Then, on top of all of that, they are going to have her kicked to the curb at Christmastime in a foreign land. This is just disgraceful.”

Amata concluded her letter, “I commend Senator Lee for his dogged efforts on behalf of Lt. Alkonis and his family, and I share his outrage at the possible denial of Ridge’s benefits so close to the holidays over a situation that was not under his nor his family’s control. We as a country have more humanity and heart than that. Mr. Secretary, please again review and grant the exception necessary for Lt. Alkonis and his family to continue with the service benefits he has earned. I acknowledge that these events have led to a complicated situation, but what isn’t complicated is our duty to support our servicemembers and make sure their families are taken care of. Thank you, and all of our military, for their service.”

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